Avatar: The Story Continues Version 2
by chakragoddess
Summary: Same as original with a lower rating. Rating may change with future chapters. I've had demand for others to read who cannot read "M". Aang/Katara perspective of what happens after the war. Canon pairings. Avatar belongs to Bryke & Nickelodeon.
1. Chapter 1

**3 days ASC**

"Here they come!" shouted Katara, standing in the courtyard of the fire nation palace and pointing to the sky. Slowly, Zuko started descending the stairs to meet her.

It had been 3 days since the comet blazed across the sky. Katara and Zuko watched Appa slowly descend. Appa was carrying the other half of the victorious team having been dispatched from the fire nation capital soon after Azula's defeat. Katara and Zuko had learned of the battle and victory in the Wulong Forest via messenger hawk about 2 days ago. Not many specific details were given, but they were happy – and relieved – to hear that the war was finally won.

Once Appa had landed, the first thing Katara saw was Ozai, bound and restrained, being lowered from the gigantic saddle.

"Guards! Take him to the prison!" Zuko shouted. "I'll deal with him later."

Two fire nation guards swept Ozai up off of the ground where he had been kneeling and walked him away. He said nothing and did not acknowledge his son in any way.

Suki, Toph and Sokka soon dismounted the sky bison. Katara ran to her brother and gave him an enormous hug. "I'm so happy you are alive," she said to him.

"I'm alive, but did manage to hurt my leg. I guess that's not too bad considering we were jumping from airship to airship hundreds of feet in the air. Things could have been worse!"

"Well, you'll have to tell me all about your adventure then," said Katara.

"And I want to hear about yours as well," said Sokka. "I hear you had quite an adventure of your own."

"Hey, all in due time!" shouted Toph. "We just got here. Don't I get a hug, too?"

Katara and Sokka opened up their hug to include Toph. Soon, Zuko and Suki were included as well. Momo scurried from shoulder to shoulder as the group hugged each other. It had been only a week or two since they had their last group hug on Ember Island. Their separation to battle Ozai and Azula made it seem so long ago.

"Where's Aang?" asked Zuko.

"How can he still be sleeping?" Toph directed to Sokka and Suki.

Suki responded, "I guess an epic battle with a Phoenix King followed by an extreme demonstration of energy bending will take the oomph right out of a person."

Katara climbed onto Appa and into his saddle. There was Aang, curled into a small ball – sleeping.

Katara gently caressed his cheek with her hand. "Aang." Nothing. No movement whatsoever. "Aang, " she said a bit louder, "you've made it back to the fire nation palace."

Slowly he stirred. He turned onto his back and let out a stretch. Rubbing his eyes, he finally got a look at who was sitting in front of him. Katara. He sat up and fiercely embraced her. "I've missed you," he said


	2. Chapter 2

**4 days ASC**

The next day was the coronation ceremony for Prince Zuko. He was now to become the new Fire Lord.

Since Azula's defeat (and obvious lack of sanity) and imprisonment, the fire nation held its breath wondering what would happen to them. Would Zuko now have to battle his father for the right to be their rightful leader?

Within a few hours, the news started to spread that it would not be an issue – the Phoenix King had been defeated by the Avatar and Zuko was now the obvious rightful ruler of the fire nation.

The fire nation was tired of war. Ozai and his predecessors had essentially run them into the ground both physically and mentally. Although they were always loyal to their leader and did not question him, they breathed a sigh of relief when word had it that Zuko was ceasing all war efforts and all soldiers would be retuning home.

At 4pm that afternoon, it was official. Zuko was coronated as the new Fire Lord and a brief set of words, promised to end all hostilities and help rebuild the world his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had been so set to destroy.

Aang, wearing the finest golden yellow robes, stood at Zuko's right hand. He didn't say a word – but his presence just seemed regal. No - not just regal. But powerful. He was now a fully-realized Avatar at the tender age of 12.


	3. Chapter 3

**7 days ASC**

The entire group soon traveled to Ba Sing Se for a much needed break. They also had heard that the Order of the White Lotus had been successful in their efforts to remove the fire nation from the city and wanted to touch base with Iroh and his brethren and hear their stories of the emancipation.

With Zuko as the new Fire Lord, much also had to be discussed about the group's future plans. Although they were tight, it was not realistic or shrewd to think that they would be together for much longer. The world had been saved from Ozai and the fire nation. The next obvious question was "Now What?"

Shortly after their arrival, they assembled at the Jasmine Dragon, Iroh's tea shop that he had recently reclaimed as his own. Upon seeing his uncle, Zuko gave him a tight embrace. "It is so good to see you again," he said to Iroh.

After the embrace, Iroh started gesturing to the rest of the group. "Come, come everyone. Take a seat and I'll make you some jasmine tea. Feel free to drop your things in the rooms upstairs. I assume you'll be staying here while you are in Ba Sing Se?"

"That was the plan," said Zuko.

Iroh went into the back while they sat down.

They sat there for hours recounting their stories of battle. They laughed a lot and even cried a little. This was the first opportunity they had had to tell everyone everything that had happened that fateful day one week ago.

"What are you planning on doing with your father and sister?" Suki asked Zuko.

"I haven't fully decided yet," he replied. "For now, prison is the best place for them. They'll be there for a little while until I've had a chance to think everything through. He can't firebend anymore – but she can. That will definitely have to be taken into consideration." Zuko then got up to get more tea for everyone.

Katara looked over at Sokka. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

"I'm painting. I want to capture this moment," he replied.

Soon the group was gathering around the painting to see what exactly Sokka had done. "Why is my hair so spiky? I look like a Boar-Q-Pine!" said Zuko. "I have Momo's ears!" shouted Katara. "My stomach is not so big anymore. I have really trimmed down," said Iroh.

Aang looked at his friends with a slight smile. He had enjoyed the time reunited with his friends over the past week, though he remained very quiet overall. His emotions were conflicted and he was still trying to sort them all out. He was still a bit tired from the battle, but the high from the victory still remained. He had been successful in restoring balance to the world – all without having to kill anyone.

On the other hand, there was sadness that the adventure was over. He was now a fully-realized Avatar completely in control of the Avatar state. But now that the deed was done, what was going to happen now to him? To his friends?

And then there was Katara. Over the past year, his feelings for her had grown and grown. They had shared several intimate moments – mostly kisses and hugs. He closed his eyes and thought of the Cave of Two Lovers, the Day of Black Sun – and even at the play on Ember Island when Katara pulled away from him. There was definitely some confusion there – for both of them. Not the least of which was caused by the fact that he was still only 12 years old.

He thought it was rather ironic that he was probably the most powerful bender in the world, the person who just defeated the Fire Lord while Sozin's Comet was in the sky - and here he was agonizing over a girl.

He looked up and saw the sun starting to set. It was beautiful. It was so nice to be able to fully appreciate these quiet, beautiful moments. Then he heard footsteps behind him.

Katara walked up to Aang. They turned to each other and embraced tightly. Aang liked the say she felt in his arms.

The embrace soon ended. Still a word hadn't been spoken. Aang was now content - just full of a feeling of warmth and happiness. He turned to look into her beautiful blue eyes. He found she was already looking at him.

Then they kissed – passionately.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Inside the tea shop, Suki looked outside and saw Aang and Katara. "Well, what do you know?" she asked.

"What!" exclaimed Sokka, whose eyes immediately turned to see what Suki was looking at. "Huh! I knew they were fond of each other. I didn't know there were _there_ though."

"Hey, details please! I'm blind here!" yelled Toph.

"Oh, Aang and Katara are kissing," said Suki. "And when I say kissing, I don't mean a peck on the cheek!"

"Oh," Toph said flatly.

"I think they are kind of cute," Mai added while placing her arms around Zuko's neck and giving a tight squeeze.


	4. Chapter 4

**8 days ASC**

The next day the Avatar, his friends, and the leadership of the Order of the White Lotus met at the abandoned Earth King's palace. They chose the war room – a room large enough to easily accommodate them all at one time.

Iroh stood up as the meeting coordinator mostly because of his strong connections to both groups that were present.

"First, I'd like to say that no matter what is discussed or decided in this forum, it will not be final without the full approval of those we deem necessary".

Aang piped in, "You mean like Hakoda and Chief Arnook of the water tribes?

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," replied Iroh. "Also, Earth King Kuei is still on his journey with Bosco and there is no indication of where he is or when he'll be back."

"From an Air Nomad perspective, there is no one else but me. And Zuko can represent the Fire Nation," said Aang.

"So the other two nations' best interests must be represented by those of you who are here, but final approval must be received at a later time. Let's begin," said Iroh. "The first order of business is to review the needs of the four nations as we stand today."

"The first thing is that the fire nation needs to stand down all troops and military weapons," said Jeong Jeong.

"Agreed," said Zuko. "It will go much faster with help from the Earth Kingdom, where most of the military units are currently located."

"The Earth King should be located and returned to Ba Sing Se to oversee the rebuilding of his kingdom," remarked Bumi. "I plan to do my part, but I want to start with Omashu first. It was nearly destroyed when the fire nation invaded."

"Yes, that is probably the first step that is necessary," Iroh said. "But the removal of troops and disassembly and disposal of the weapons can begin without his presence."

"Each town may need to start rebuilding on their own," added Toph. "I can definitely help the cause, but first I want to return to Gaoling and make peace with my parents. I do miss them."

"Perhaps each town can provide a messenger to the Earth King, upon his return, letting them know what they need," remarked Iroh.

"Now moving on to the water tribes," Iroh stated.

"The water tribes have been greatly affected," said Katara. "However, what we must do to fix our homes will not require outside assistance."

"I agree with Katara. All of the benders from the Southern Tribe were removed and eliminated by the Fire Nation. To replenish those souls would require immigration from the Northern Water tribe – and that effort has already been started," stated Pakku. "The rest will be up to mother nature. "

"What about the Northern Tribe?" asked Sokka.

"They'll be fine. It will take time to rebuild the infrastructure, but they are already underway with all of that. After all, the attack by the fire nation was nearly 6 month ago now," stated Pakku.

"The fire nation will need a lot of support to help move on from their past," said Iroh. "Since the war has been raging over 100 years, most of the population never knew a time without a tyrant as a leader or their sons and daughters going off to war."

"There may be some residual supporters of my father as well," piped in Zuko. "We'll deal with that when it happens."

"There will also need to be work on the infrastructure of the capital city," stated Iroh. "After the day of black sun, there was much destroyed. The palace was also damaged by Zuko's Agni Kai with Azula."

Iroh then turned to Aang. "Avatar, I'm sorry to say that I have no plan for the Air Nomad nation. There is only one of you left. What can done?"

Aang stood up, looking very serious at everyone. "I have already come to terms with the fact that I am the last airbender. To be honest with you, I am unsure where to take things from here. Now that I can take the power from a bender, can I gift it as well? Or perhaps, in this world, I am not the only airbender left? Perhaps, as Pakku said earlier, mother nature make take care of the situation at a future time? I just need time to think and plan. My responsibility as the Avatar is to the world and to its people. I will not let you down as far as that goes, but I may ask for your help and support with respect to this sensitive topic. I take full responsibility for fixing this situation – if I can."

"Thank you, Aang. If there is anything anyone can do to assist you, please don't hesitate to speak up. This world owes you everything," said Iroh.

"I believe we have covered what we have needed to in our first meeting," said Iroh. "I think it is time to break for the day and reconvene tomorrow."

The session adjourned and the members started to leave the palace.

"Hey Aang! Wait up! Can I talk to you?" It was Katara.

"Sure," he said. He appeared to be a bit down after his speech about the air nomads.

They started walking back towards the Jasmine Dragon together. It was only the late afternoon and there was still plenty of time for everyone to have a nice evening before getting to bed.

"Aang, I wanted to have a serious, focused conversation with you," said Katara. "About us."

"Yeah. That would help me out a lot," he responded.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Aang paused for a few seconds not really sure how much to bare his soul. "Katara, you probably already know how I feel about you. But just so you aren't getting any mixed signals, the bottom line is that I love you. I have for quite some time. What we have been through together over this past year and your support and guidance has just made it even deeper for me."

He continued, "I do not doubt my love for you, but after what happened on Ember Island, I am a bit confused. And our kiss last night was so…."

Katara interrupted, "Aang. I admit that I knew you had very strong feelings for me for quite some time now. You should just ignore Ember Island. I reacted badly that night when you kissed me. All I could think about was the upcoming battle. I was afraid that if I let down my guard too much, I would be devastated if I lost you. And what if I were killed helping Zuko? It's just that we had so much on our minds besides the two of us. It could have turned out so different than it did."

Aang grabbed Katara's hand as they continued to walk through the streets of Ba Sing Se.

"I just need to know that I'm not some love-crazed 12 year old boy here," said Aang.

"Well you _are_ almost 13 now!" laughed Katara.

Aang smiled. He stopped walking and turned to Katara.

"Katara, I love you," he said again.

"Aang, no more questions. No more unknowns. No more games_. I love you, too_." She paused. "I have for some time now but I held back knowing what we were up against and how I might distract you. I'm not going to hold back anymore. Now that the war is won, I want to be with you."

They looked into each others' eyes and kissed once again – the same way they had the night before.

The walk then continued hand-in-hand towards the Jasmine Dragon. Both were smiling.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Suki and Sokka were already at the Jasmine Dragon when they arrived. Iroh was busy in back.

"Isn't that cute?" remarked Suki very quietly. "Now they're holding hands!"

"What's going on?" asked Aang.

"Not much of anything," replied Sokka. Just enjoying some downtime with friends and having a snack with our tea.

"Aang, can I talk to you for a moment in the back?" asked Iroh.

"Sure thing!"

Aang kissed Katara's check and skipped his way to the back of the tea shop.

"Katara, what is going _on?_!" Suki asked.

"What do you mean?" Katara replied.

"I saw that kiss last night. Now you are holding hands! Are you two…._dating_?" asked Suki.

"Y'know, after all we've been through together, the word _dating_ just doesn't seem to cut it. It seems so... trivial to put it that way," Katara said. "I would say in the last 24 hours, we've taken our friendship to an entirely different level though. We are definitely not just friends anymore."

"What!" yelled Sokka.

"No, no, no! Boy, you've got an interesting mind there, Sokka. What I'm trying to say is that we love each other and we are _together_," Katara said. "We'll just have to see where it goes."

"What do you mean?" asked Suki.

"Well, we are so _young_. I'm almost 15 and he is almost 13. It's a bit premature to be planning a wedding, isn't it?" Katara said. "I think we need to see what happens in the next year or two to determine any next steps. If it was meant to be, it will happen for us."

"Such a wise thing to say," said Suki.

"I'm proud of you little sister," Sokka replied.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"What did you want to see me about?" Aang asked Iroh.

Iroh was busy putting away dishes in some of the cupboards. He continued his work while starting to speak, "Young Avatar, I see you are getting very close to the waterbender."

"Yes. Yes, we are definitely...close," Aang noted.

"I am now only a simple old man who enjoys his tea. My romantic days are far behind me. But I have been told that I give some pretty good advice at times." Iroh winked, remembering their talk while walking towards the Crystal Caves under Ba Sing Se not so long ago.

"Yeah, I've heard that too," Aang replied.

"First of all, you are the Avatar. You will have responsibilities over the course of your entire life that she will need to be accepting of if you two plan to be together."

"Yes, that is true. I would never ask her to be unhappy," said Aang.

"Secondly," continued Iroh, "I realize you are powerful and you have just saved our world, but remember that you are only 12 years old."

"Almost 13," corrected Aang.

"Yes, almost 13," repeated Iroh. "As such, you must balance your young age with the desires of a relationship."

"What do you mean?" asked Aang.

"Let's just say that since Katara is older than you, she may be ready to take things further than you are ready for."

"You mean...sex?"asked Aang.

"Well, there's that as well as well as less complicated matters. She will be of marrying age in just over a year. You will still only be 14. You should be sure to make sure you and she are on the same page with things else misunderstandings may occur."

"Yes, we've already been down that path once. I don't want to go down it again with her."

"My advice is to take things slow, especially in the beginning. Continue to grow together - like a beautiful panda lily. Right now, the seed has only been planted - there may even be a seedling. You may think you are in madly in love, but over time you will see that you will become even more so. True soul mates."

"Thanks for this talk," said Aang. "I appreciate you looking out for me. I don't have many adult mentors anymore. I may be the Avatar, but I'm very new to girls."


	5. Chapter 5

**9 days ASC**

The meeting reconvened at the palace that next day.

"So, we have the framework of a plan," Iroh said. "But who will execute the plan?"

Bumi then spoke, "As I've stated already, I will be heading back to Omashu. I can handle the rebuilding there. I want the city to be as spectacular as it has ever been."

Iroh followed on, "OK, that's a start. Toph, you stated yesterday that you are headed back to Gaoling..."

"That's right", she replied.

"After the visit with your parents, do you intend to remain in Gaoling?" asked Iroh.

"Now that's a stupid question," Sokka quietly whispered to Suki.

"These past months have been some of the happiest of my entire life. I do love my parents, but I can no longer be tied down as a helpless child. I hope to get their blessing, but I fully intend to travel the world after visiting Gaoling," said Toph.

"If that is your plan, this council would appreciate your help in rebuilding the Earth Kingdom. Assist the towns you come across with what they need. If help is beyond you or the local residents, dispatch a messenger to Ba Sing Se and let us know what you need," said Iroh. "I am planning on staying in Ba Sing Se. I will continue to run my tea shop, but will assist with the rebuilding and coordination wherever and whenever I can, especially until the Earth King comes back."

"So who will find the Earth King?" asked Toph.

No one said anything for a moment or two.

"I will," said Aang. "After all, I have been traveling the world for the last year now. I have made friends in many places. I should be able to easily track his path no matter how far away he is."

"So be it," said Iroh. "Now, I will leave the Water Tribe members to their own rebuilding though I do want to make sure we are all in agreement. Pakku, when you return to the Southern Tribe, will you inform Hakoda of our plan?"

"I will," said Pakku.

"Sokka, I know that you and Katara are from the Southern Water Tribe. However, I would ask that you two visit the north pole one last time before returning home," said Iroh. "Tell Chief Arnook the story of of the victory and the plans we have made to rebuild".

Sokka replied, "We would be honored to be your representatives to the Northern..."

"Hold on a minute!" Katara said rather loudly and sternly. She took Sokka aside and whispered in his ear. "Sokka, would you rather I go with you to the north pole...or Suki?" she asked.

He whispered back, "I love you and all, but, um...well, I've been pretty into Suki lately."

"That's what I thought," she said.

Katara turned to face the others. "Iroh. I have a propsal to make. Kyoshi Island has already completed their rebuild and needs no further assistance. Suki should accompany Sokka to the north pole. They can even stop at the Northern Air Temple on the way - and then hit some of the coastal Earth Kingdom towns like Makapu, Senlin Village and Chin on the way south again."

"Katara, you don't want to go to the north pole?" asked Iroh.

"It's not that," she started, "I would like to assist Aang in his quest to find the Earth King."

"This is an acceptable proposal," Iroh said. He then turned his head to nod at Aang. It was if he was saying, "Remember our conversation last night." Aang nodded back.

Iroh turned to face Zuko. "Fire Lord Zuko. I can then trust that the Fire Nation rebuild will be left to you?"

"Uncle - I will do my best to restore the Fire Nation to its rightful place in this world," remarked Zuko. "I will also deal with the ultimate question of what to do with my father and sister."

"And I will be by your side helping you," said Mai.

"Master Piandao, I would also ask for your guidance from time-to-time," said Zuko.

"My Lord, you have it whenever you need it," replied Piandao.

Finally, Iroh's eyes turned to Jeong Jeong. "My friend, you are a firebender, yet you choose not to bend fire if at all possible. Am I correct in assuming you wish to remain in the Earth Kingdom?" Jeong Jeong nodded. "I would then ask that you also travel the Earth Kingdom and send our message of rebuilding - primarily to the south and southeast areas."

"It will be done," said Jeong Jeong.

OlOlOlOlOlO

After the meeting, the teenagers soon regrouped at the Jasmine Dragon. It was going to be their last gathering, at least for a while. The mood in the tea shop was one of joy, but also of sorrow at their impending departure.

"So, where are you going to look first?" asked Sokka to Aang.

"My gut tells me that he is still in the Earth Kingdom," replied Aang. "I'm definitely going to start here."

"I'm so glad we have Appa," said Katara. "The Earth Kingdom _is_ the biggest nation in the world."

"So what are your plans, Zuko?" asked Aang.

"Mai and I are leaving this evening. We have a ship waiting for us near Chameleon Bay. It will take a while to get back to the Fire Nation, but we can definitely find _something_ to keep us busy," smiled Zuko.

Aang blushed.

Suki chimed in, "I think we should leave tomorrow morning. Bumi made arrangements for two ostrich horses for us after the meeting had concluded. We'll take off on them. We may have to hike a bit once we get higher up into the mountains near the Northern Air Temple."

"I'm going to leave tonight, too," Toph said. "I'm really going to miss all you guys, but I really want to talk to my parents about everything that happened." She continued, "Plus, I could use a vacation! There's nothing like living at the Bei Fong estate to be pampered for a while."

"Aang, when do you think we should go?" asked Katara.

"I'd like to get one more good night's sleep. That's for sure," he said. "Probably tomorrow morning."

He stretched and let out a huge yawn. "As a matter of fact, I may be ready to turn in now."

Aang grabbed a two fruits from the table and walked outside to where Appa and Momo were sitting. "We've got a big job ahead of us," Aang told Appa. "We're going to leave tomorrow to find the Earth King."

Momo chattered and Appa let out a low grumble-sigh. Aang handed a fruit to Momo and threw the other into Appa's mouth. He stood there for a minute or two in the silence of the evening rubbing Appa. Appa was still one of his best friends in the whole world.

Soon, Zuko, Mai, and Toph left the tea shop. They walked up to Aang and said their good-byes.

"Until we meet again," Zuko said. He then embraced him.

Mai kissed him on the cheek. "You take care of yourself," said Mai.

Aang watched as they walked down the street and out of sight.

Toph stepped up behind Aang and gave him a small punch on the upper arm. "See you later Twinkletoes! I'll miss you guys!"

"Bye Toph", said Aang. "Good luck with your parents." She walked away and was soon out of sight.

Aang continued to rub Appa for a few minutes after everyone left. "Have a good night Appa. You, too, Momo," he soon said and walked back inside.

Everyone had already gone to their rooms upstairs for the night. Aang slowly climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway. He pushed the door to his room open. He hardly noticed the dark figure sitting on his bed at first.

"Katara!"

"Shhhhh!" she shushed him. "I don't think Sokka should know I'm in here."

Aang paused. "Well….what _are_ you doing in here?" he asked. He was happy to see her, but definitely surprised.

"I'm not that tired yet. Sokka and Suki wanted to get to bed early…" Katara started.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was to get some _sleep_!" Aang said with a grin on his face. "Did you check that they are in _separate_ rooms?"

"Well, no matter. I wanted to spend some alone time with you. I feel like we've barely had time to unwind or be alone together since we've been here!" Katara said.

"There hasn't been much time these last few days, has there?" replied Aang.

Katara stood up. She turned to face Aang and gave him a brief kiss. They separated and his grey eyes caught her bright blue eyes. They stared at each other for a few brief seconds and then Aang grabbed her waist and pulled her tight for a deeper, more meaningful kiss.

Their warm, wet lips met passionately and their mouths moved in unison with their deep kiss.

Aang slowly pulled away. "I'm so happy Katara. You have no idea how happy you make me," said Aang.

She sat down on the bed. She stretched out her hand to grab his and pulled him down next to her. Again, they were staring into each others' eyes.

Aang gently pushed some of Katara's hair away from her eyes with his hand. "You are so beautiful," he continued.

"Can we cuddle?" asked Katara.

"I'd like nothing more than to fall asleep in your arms," replied Aang.

Aang turned over and Katara moved close. Spooning.

"I love you Aang."

"I love you too, Katara."


	6. Chapter 6

**10 days ASC**

Aang awoke the next morning without moving. He immediately noted Katara's arm across his chest. _She stayed_, he thought to himself. It wasn't the first night they had spent together. After all, they had traveled the world together over the past year. But this was the first night they had spent after their confession – and the first night spent in each other's arms.

"Good morning," said Katara.

Aang turned around and kissed Katara.

"Ugh! Morning breath!" she exclaimed. Then she smiled.

"I guess this is how 'real life' is then," Aang said, and returned her smile.

"I'm going to go get ready for our day. It's going to be a long journey ahead," said Katara.

Katara got up and walked out the door to Aang's room.

"What – are – you – _doing_?"

It was Sokka. He just happened to be in the hallway when Katara emerged from Aang's room.

"Mind your own business!" Katara said.

"Um….you are my _little_ sister! You are my business. I thought you had this 'situation' under control. You were going to be mature and all," said Sokka.

"Before I answer you, tell me one thing first. Where were _you_ last night?"

Sokka blushed. "Well, that's different."

"I don't think so," Katara said. "Besides there is the fact that Aang and I will be traveling _alone_ together for some time now. No matter what we did last night, we'll have plenty of opportunity in the future, now won't we?"

"Don't remind me," said Sokka.

"Well, nosy. For your information, Aang is a complete gentleman. Nothing happened except a little kissing and cuddling," said Katara. Then she walked down to her own room and slammed the door.

Aang peeked out of his room. "Good morning, Sokka!"

"Hmmph!" Then Sokka slammed the door to his room.

Aang shrugged and went back into his room.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Iroh was downstairs making tea when, one-by-one, they descended the stairs to the main level.

"I have made ginseng tea this morning for you. Here are some danishes for you before your trips as well," said Iroh.

"Thanks Iroh!" said Aang.

After breakfast, the four travelers packed up their belongings and met outside. Iroh shouted, "Have a safe journey!" as they exited the tea shop.

"Well, I guess we're at it again," said Suki.

"Yeah," replied Aang. "On the road again."

Katara looked at Sokka. She was not smiling. He looked at her as well – just a slight frown. Seconds passed. Suddenly, they jumped to each other and gave each other a big hug.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" exclaimed Katara.

"You be careful out there!" replied Sokka.

"Say 'hi' to our friends for me," said Katara.

They turned to their respective modes of transportation. Sokka and Suki mounted the two ostrich horses provided by Bumi. Aang and Katara climbed into Appa's saddle.

Momo waved to Sokka and Suki.

"Bye Momo!" yelled Suki.

"Yip, yip!" yelled Aang. And they were off.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Katara sat back in the saddle and Aang rode on Appa's head for the first half-hour or so.

"Aang, I never did ask you. Where exactly are we going?" Katara asked.

"I know that most of our friends will hit the same places we'll be going, but I wanted to start in the Southeast Earth Kingdom, the furthest away from the Fire Nation. Then we'll work our way along the South." Aang replied. "Where do you think he might be?"

"Well, I wouldn't totally count out the Air Temples. They are full of history even though there aren't any people there anymore," Katara said. "I really don't think Fire Nation at this point, and probably not either Water Tribe."

"OK then. We'll check out the Eastern Air Temple as well. That's as good a place to start as any!" said Aang.

Aang turned his bison a bit further north and headed in the general direction of the Eastern Air Temple.

"I haven't been back there since leaving Guru Pathik. I wonder if he is still there?" said Aang.

"Where else would he go?" asked Katara.

"I don't know to be honest. I only stayed with him long enough to open my chakras – I didn't get a chance to know him personally," said Aang. "Now that the war is over, I hope he is still there and I can introduce you to him."

Aang climbed down off of Appa's head and into his saddle. He ended up sitting right next to Katara, whose lap was under a warm blanket.

"Are you cold?" asked Aang.

"Just a bit," she said.

Aang pulled the blanket over his lap as well and laid his head on her shoulder. "It's going to be a bit of a hike to get there. I may as well get comfortable."

Katara leaned her head on his and together they dozed off in the mid-day sun.

They flew down the eastern arm of Chameleon Bay that day and stopped briefly to set-up camp for the night. They would be at the Eastern Air Temple early the next afternoon.


	7. Chapter 7

**11 days ASC**

They woke up early the next morning ready to get moving again.

"Did you have a good rest, Appa?" asked Aang.

Appa let out a growl.

"Well, let's pack up and get going again then," he said.

"Aang, do you really think your Guru is still at the Eastern Air Temple?" asked Katara?

"I'm not really sure. He did say he was very close to the airbenders, so I would have to think that he was very familiar with and comfortable at their Air Temples. But then again, he definitely wasn't an airbender, so he must have come from somewhere else. Perhaps he went back to his real home after I left in such a hurry."

"Well, I guess there really is only one way to know for sure," said Katara.

"You're right," said Aang. "And we'll know soon enough, won't we? I've got some more questions I hope he can answer for me if he is still there."

OlOlOlOlOlO

A few hours later the four fliers descended towards the Eastern Air Temple.

"There it is!" shouted Aang.

"Wow. I've seen all four temples now and they are all each as spectacular as the last," Katara said.

"So which one is your favorite?" asked Aang?

"Definitely not the Northern Air Temple. That's probably just because of the changes that the Mechanist and his people made to it. It just made it less…well….less serene. The Western Air Temple was definitely unique, but upside down isn't my style. I would say that the Southern Air Temple is probably my favorite up until now. I'll have to take a look around this one to see what I think."

"I'll be glad to give you a tour when we get there. I didn't spend much time here since the nuns lived here, but I still know my way around," said Aang.

Appa landed on one of the three mountains that were connected by bridges where the Air Temple was located. Aang, Katara and Momo dismounted Appa and started to walk around the grounds.

"Katara, did you know this is where Appa is from?" asked Aang.

"I think you may have mentioned it at some point. What was the story again?" Katara replied.

"All the sky bison were born into the stables at the Eastern Air Temple. When I was six, a bunch of us from the Southern Air Temple traveled here to meet our companion bison. That was when I met Sister Iio. She gave us all apples to give the baby bison and quickly it was obvious that Appa and I belonged together," he said.

"Over there are the stables," Aang said and led Katara to where the sky bison once lived.

"I can't believe Appa is the last sky bison," said Katara.

"He's not the only one," said Aang, his demeanor saddening. He walked away down a corridor in the stables.

"Oh." Katara then realized that there weren't really talking about Appa anymore.

After about 5 minutes of pure silence and Katara having no idea what to say, Aang finally spoke. "Now that the war is over, I need to figure out what the next step is for the Air Nomads."

Katara continued the conversation. "Remember what you said at the meeting in the Earth King's Palace?" she asked. "Do you think any of those scenarios are real possibilities?"

"You mean the potential that air benders survived the genocide?" Aang asked.

"Yeah, and that you could create new air benders with energy bending," replied Katara. "Or - " she paused.

"Or – what?" he asked.

"Well, what exactly happens when you have children?" she asked.

"Normally, they would all be air benders," said a voice behind them. They turned to look.

"Guru Pathik!" shouted Aang.

"Aang! How great it is to see you again!" he said and held out his arms for an embrace. Aang and Katara were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the old man had slowly walked behind them into the stable.

"Pathik, this is Katara. She was a member of the team that helped defeat the Fire Lord and his daughter," Aang said.

Katara nodded to the Guru.

"Katara. Hmmm...I have definitely heard that name before – ah yes, the Avatar's difficulties with 7th chakra. I remember now." Guru Pathik left it at that. Aang blushed a bit not wanting Pathik to go into any more detail right at that moment about what exactly was said before he fled the Air Temple to go rescue Katara in Ba Sing Se.

Pathik continued, "Aang and Katara, I stayed here these extra months due to a vision I had the night after Aang left. The vision showed me that Aang would return to the Eastern Air Temple and that I had one more task to fulfill. I am no longer here to help you _be_ the Avatar, Aang, but the information I can share with you will enable you to make better decisions for the future of this world _as_ the Avatar. And your decisions will affect it greatly. But first - come with me. Let's get something to eat."

The guru led Aang, Katara and Momo over a bridge to another part of the temple grounds. While they were walking and though Aang had other things on his mind, he remembered his primary mission and the reason he came back to the Eastern Air Temple to begin with.

"Pathik, out of curiosity, have you seen anyone else since I left the temple?" Aang asked.

"No, I haven't," he replied. "Who are you looking for?"

"The Earth King left the Earth Kingdom a few days after I left the air temple last time. He took his bear with him and went in disguise to travel the world. Now that the war is over, rebuilding must begin and he must return to Ba Sing Se to resume his reign," said Aang.

"Why did he leave? I have gotten very little information while living here over the last few years," said Pathik.

"So much has happened since I left the Eastern Air Temple. I returned to Ba Sing Se to rescue Katara. I was successful, but nearly died while in the Avatar State. Katara saved me with spirit water from the North Pole - ," began Aang.

"You were in the Avatar State?" Pathik asked curiously.

"Yes. We were attacked and outnumbered so I meditated, opened the 7th chakra, and entered the Avatar State," replied Aang.

"Well, it is good to know it worked out in the long run," said Pathik. "I was afraid it would never again happen once you left here. That takes a great spiritual nature – good thing you are an air bender."

"It didn't last though. Because I did die and was brought back, the spiritual bridge was highly damaged and I spent the next three weeks in the spirit world on a journey of discovery to help fix the bridge. When I finally woke up, I found that the injury I had sustained in my back had blocked my chi and it wasn't until I was battling Ozai that it was accidentally opened again. Now getting back to the Earth King - "

"Yes, yes, the Earth King," said Pathik.

"After I was struck by lightning in Ba Sing Se, the city fell and the Earth King went on his journey. Did you know he had never been outside his palace before when we first met him?" asked Aang.

"I cannot imagine living such a sheltered and limited life," replied Pathik. "No wonder he went on his journey. I'm sorry to say there have been no signs of him here. But then again, the Air Temples are not the easiest locations for the lay-person to visit."

"That's true," said Katara, who up until now had been virtually silent.

They finally arrived at their destination – a room that looked to be a former eating area for the Air Nomads who used to live here. Pathik offered Aang two bowls of a familiar smelling liquid. Aang drank right away from his bowl; Katara took one sip and forcefully spit it out.

"Onion and banana juice," said Aang. "It's an acquired taste, believe me. It took me a while to like it."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Later that evening, Aang and Katara selected a room to call their own for the next few days they would be here. Katara busily unpacked their few belongings from Appa's saddle, fed Appa and Momo, and was busy settling in while Aang went to meditate on one of the many balconies that existed around the temple.

After about 20 minutes, Guru Pathik walked up to Aang and started a conversation with him.

"So Aang, unlike last time you visited me, you must lead the conversation between the two of us. How can I help you this time?" Pathik asked.

"I have two objectives with this latest mission. One is to find the Earth King as we've already discussed. The other is to gain more knowledge about my history and hopefully, my future," Aang said.

"That sounds very intriguing," said Pathik.

"I know I'm young. And because of that, I didn't learn a lot about the Air Nomad ways – specifically those things that were shared with older monks and nuns," said Aang. "I know monks and nuns lived at different temples, but I have no idea how Air Nomad babies came to be."

"So you don't understand how a man and a woman -" he started.

"No! No, I didn't mean that. I know _how_ babies are made, but what I meant to ask was when did the monks and nuns actually ... get together? I know other than a few trips to the other temples, I never saw the nuns. And I most certainly never saw many monks where the nuns lived, and the nuns almost never visited the Southern Air Temple when I lived there."

"Ah. I understand. This is something that not many of the young ones had an opportunity to know about until they were 16," said Pathik. "Do you remember the Winter Festival?"

"Yes, but I don't think I ever got to go," replied Aang.

"Oh, that's because you were too young at the time. At the age of 16, young Air Nomads traveled to the chosen Air Temple and have a chance to meet and socialize. Because of the lifestyle and life choices of your culture, there was no marriage between Air Nomads. The Winter Festival gave them the opportunity form lifelong spiritual bonds. This bond was probably the closest thing to marriage in the Air Nomad culture."

"I see," said Aang. "So is that why most of the babies were born in the fall?"

"Yes. But if, per chance, a nun or monk had the opportunity to travel at other times of the year and just happened to have the chance to meet their spiritual partner – well, you know, things happened," said Pathik.

"So that's why not _all_ babies were born in the fall," said Aang.

"Why are you asking me these questions now?" asked the guru.

"I can only think of three ways to ever bring the Air Nomads back to this world. One is if I energy bend again. I have never given bending to anyone – I have only taken it away. I don't think this is a path I am comfortable with taking," said Aang. "Ozai was such an exception and it was something I _had_ to do to end the war and bring balance back to the world. It's just such a risky thing to do unless all else fails."

Aang continued, "The second way to bring back the Nomads is to determine if any air benders – _any_ of them – survived the genocide. We were nomads after all."

"Aang, I have thought often of that possibility. The chances were very slim that every single air bender was at a temple when the genocide attacks occurred," said Pathik.

"I definitely agree," said Aang.

"The question is, what happened to them? I have never heard even one report of the sighting of a person with an arrow tattoo," said Pathik.

"There are so many possibilities here," said Aang. "Perhaps the original air benders stayed hidden – at least while the master air benders with arrow tattoos were still alive. Perhaps they covered them, or grew hair. It's what I did while I was in the Fire Nation. If any children were born – and that is an assumption based on if any monks or nuns were hidden together at the time – they would not have the tattoos. They may be able to hide themselves in plain sight!"

Guru Pathik's voice was showing more glimmers of hope as the conversation with Aang continued. "Aang, you must keep your eyes open for any signs of your people, even if there is only a slight chance of finding anyone! Descendents of the Air Nomads very well may be out there!"

"I definitely intend to," said Aang.

"The third way – and why I was asking you about the Air Nomad babies - is what Katara and I were discussing back in the sky bison stable. What happens when I have children? Pathik, has an Air Nomad ever had children with someone who wasn't an Air Nomad?" Aang asked.

"If it ever happened, I have never heard of it," replied Pathik. "That is why I said 'normally, they would all be air benders.' There has never been a child born of an air bender that was not an air bender, too. But again, there have always been two air bender parents as well."

"Do you think _all_ my children would be air benders?" asked Aang.

"It is difficult to say. It would probably depend on the person you have children with. The reason all Air Nomads are air benders is because of their spirituality. If you marry a spiritual person, most likely you will have a bender child because of your Air Nomad background. However, because your spouse would come from another nation, your children could, in theory, have control of another element and not air," said Pathik.

"Guru Pathik, thank you for all your wisdom. You have definitely given me much to think about. Two of the three paths to re-establishing the Air Nomads are still alive and I will continue to hope that I will not be the last airbender forever," said Aang.

Aang left the balcony and went back to his and Katara's room. Katara was already lightly sleeping in the bed.

"Aang, is that you?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah. It's me," Aang replied.

"Where have you been this whole time?"

"Guru Pathik and I were talking about the Air Nomads," Aang said. "It seems there is some hope after all to re-establish the nation. But it is definitely going to take some time depending on how it turns out."

Katara said nothing. She had fallen back asleep again. Aang crawled into the bed and held her as they fell asleep, just as they had the last few nights, in each other's arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**2-3 Weeks ASC**

Aang and Katara woke up the next morning and bid farewell to Guru Pathik. Having gotten the information he was looking for, Aang wanted to move forward with his search for the Earth King. Although he promised he would locate the Earth King and have him return to Ba Sing Se, it wasn't the first priority in Aang's mind. After the talk with Pathik, he wanted to visit some new areas of the world and see if there were any signs at all of airbenders. The sooner Kuei was located, the better.

Over the next 1-2 weeks, Katara, Aang, Momo and Appa journeyed across the southern reaches of the Earth Kingdom. There were a few islands just west of the Eastern Air Temple to examine. As expected, nothing was found.

Aang thought to himself_, Here is a guy who has never been out of his palace_ - _would I really expect him to be jumping off of the mainland so soon? I really think he is closer to Ba Sing Se than that._

They flew over some of the areas that they had visited within the past year. The first real landmark that they recognized was the old abandoned mining town where he had first learned who Azula was…and where she shot Iroh with lightning. That was right after the chase where Appa was shedding so badly, even a blind badgermole could have found them with ease.

They skirted the Plains Village and suddenly realized how close they were to Gaoling and Toph.

"Katara, what do you think about stopping by Gaoling for a day or two to see Toph?" Aang asked.

"That's a great idea!" she replied. "I know our last journey to teach you the other bending methods was quite a bit longer than this one, but I could use a little rest. A real bed would be nice." She paused. "I think I'm getting soft already," she said jokingly.

Aang turned Appa towards the south and within a few hours, they were back in Toph's home village.

OlOlOlOlO

Appa landed in the Bei Fong backyard in the late afternoon. Not 10 seconds went by and out ran the young, blind earthbender.

"Hey you guys!" Toph shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"We've been searching for King Kuei in the southern Earth Kingdom these past few weeks. We were in the neighborhood and so we thought we'd come for a visit," Katara answered.

"That's great!" Toph replied. "My folks will be so glad to see you again! Come on!"

Aang and Katara gave each other a side look before grabbing their things and following Toph towards the house. This was definitely not quite what they had expected. Toph reached the door first and shouted inside, "Mom! Dad! My friends are here to visit!"

Toph led them into a sitting room where they all took seats so they could catch up.

"So Toph, what's happened with you these last few weeks?" Aang asked.

"Well, I haven't done much rebuilding yet. My parents and I have made peace though. It's been great around here. Nothing but relaxation and pampering for two whole weeks!" Toph said.

"But what about the guys who kidnapped you?" asked Katara. "Didn't your parents send them?"

"That's all water under the bridge. When I got home, several things happened. First, there was the fact that I had been gone for months and months. They were super-happy to see me again no matter what the circumstances. Second, they were surprised as heck at the stories that they heard about my part in helping the Avatar end the war. I think that was the big thing that finally helped to change their mind about their 'helpless daughter'. And third, well, I haven't been shy at using my earthbending since I've been home. I think they finally understand where I'm coming from and what I'm capable of."

"Toph! Who is here?" Poppy Bei Fong asked her daughter as she walked into the sitting room.

"It's Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen!" she replied in earnest. "Just kidding Mom. It's the Avatar and Katara, the waterbender."

"Welcome back to our home, Avatar," Poppy said. "Thank you for taking such good care of our Toph and enabling her to come back home to us."

"We appreciate your hospitality," Aang replied. Poppy bowed and left the friends to talk.

"So how long are you planning on staying," Toph asked.

"Hopefully only for a day or two. We're still working on our assigned task," Aang said somewhat cryptically in case anyone was listening.

"Oh, you haven't heard anything?" Toph asked.

"Well, we haven't found him if that's what you're asking," replied Katara.

Toph smiled. "Well, I may just be your favorite person today!"

"What do you mean?" asked Katara.

Toph replied, "Unlike you wandering nomads, I've had my bod pretty much planted in one place for the last two weeks. Just yesterday I received a message from Sokka and Suki with some news."

"And?" Aang prodded.

"It seems that they were on their way to the Northern Water Tribe and they came across one genuine Earth King at the Northern Air Temple!"

"Alll-right!" Aang shouted. Finally he could get this part of his mission finished with and move onto other things. "So, is he going back to Ba Sing Se then?"

"Not exactly," Toph said as she went to retrieve the message sitting on a desk in that room. She handed it to Aang.

_Toph,_

_It has been a few days since we arrived at the Northern Air Temple. It is still too soon to reunite with The Mechanist and his son, Teo, as they are still journeying back here from the Fire Nation and Zuko's coronation (I guess we all can't be so lucky to have a sky bison as our personal travel method.)_

_Anyway, it still looks pretty much the same as when I saw it when we journeyed to the Northern Water Tribe last time (we hadn't met you yet). There are lots of Earth Kingdom folks flying around on their gliders and such. But we do have some great news to share with you. If you happen to hear where Aang and Katara are, you could pass this along to them?_

_Earth King Kuei is here! Apparently, after wandering around his Kingdom for a month or two, he came across this place and absolutely fell in love with its location and its technology. He loves to fly! _

_There is some bad news though. We've told him the stories of the end of the war and asked that he return to rule in Ba Sing Se. And he refuses! He says he is happier than he has ever been at the Northern Air Temple and never plans to return to the capital city. _

_We've decided to stay until we either convince him to go home or we know that Aang and Katara are aware of the situation and can relieve us of our situation. After all, we can't just leave him here. The Earth Kingdom needs him – and frankly, hopefully Aang can convince him because he certainly doesn't seem to be listening to us. _

_I hope all is going ok with your parents. Best of luck with all that!_

_Sokka_

"Crap!" shouted Aang. "Now we can stop looking for him, but we have to fly halfway across the world to get to him AND he doesn't want to go back to Ba Sing Se!"

"Aang, if anyone can convince him to return though, it's you," said Katara.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara were no longer used to sleeping apart. Although Toph knew of the relatively new relationship status, her parents were still old-fashioned in that unless you were husband and wife, it meant separate bedrooms. After all the lights were turned off and the sounds in the house died down, Aang peeked out his bedroom door and tip-toed down the hallway to Katara's room.

"I'm glad the guest bedrooms aren't near the family bedrooms," he whispered to her as he gingerly closed the door behind him. "It just makes sneaking around a little bit easier."

It had been a while since the two shared an actual bed – as opposed to a sleeping bag on the ground or in an earth tent. They planned to take advantage of the situation. Aang slipped under the covers of the bed where Katara was already in her bedclothes ready for the night.

Aang slipped in behind Katara and got into a spooning position with her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tight.

Katara closed her eyes and smiled to herself. She was content and happy. Although she was still gallivanting around the world, here she was with her love. Nothing was in question and everything between her and Aang were just about perfect.

She turned to face him and looked into his stormy gray eyes. She said nothing for quite a while.

"What are you smiling about?" he finally asked her.

"Sometimes, when it is still and things have calmed down, do you ever just take an inventory of your life and think about what is going on around you? I mean, what is really happening to you?" Katara asked.

"It can be difficult at times, but that's why I like to meditate so often. It gives me balance and perspective," Aang said.

"Aang, I'm just so happy right now. I think about all we've been through and where we are headed and things are just falling into place," Katara said. "I would follow you anywhere you needed to go. I am happy anywhere as long as you are there."

"Really?" he asked her. "I can't think of anywhere I'd want to go without you."

"I guess you're stuck with me then," she said playfully.

"I guess I am," he replied. "I love you so much, Katara. I know I've said it before – I'm only 12, and it is hard to take some things so seriously at 12, but I promise you that I will make you my wife someday."

She smiled even bigger than she had been. "I love you, too. And I will be your wife someday."

She leaned into him and gave him a deep kiss on the mouth. Aang pulled her tighter to him and returned her kiss_. I love this_, he thought. _I love her_.


	9. Chapter 9

**1 Month ASC**

Aang and Katara spent three days with Toph before leaving. They took advantage of their time together to continue Aang's earthbending training. Although he was a fully realized Avatar and was technically considered an earthbending master, Toph was still by far superior in her skills and Aang did want to continue his training with her while he had the chance – especially in the area of metalbending. He knew he wasn't quite ready for the full-blown metalbending training yet, but wanted to keep working towards it as his ultimate earthbending goal.

Aang and Katara decided to head for Ba Sing Se after Gaoling since it was almost on the way to the Northern Air Temple. Aang wanted to talk with Iroh before confronting the king.

On the way to Ba Sing Se, they stopped for one night in the foggy swamp to say "hi" to Huu, Thu and Due. They spent the evening dining on giant bugs (well, Katara did anyway) and plants found native to the swamp. The campfire was warm and many stories were told around it that evening about the fall of the fire nation.

Two additional nights were spent with King Bumi in Omashu. Rebuilding there was almost complete! It didn't take much time at all to rip out the fire nation buildings and machines that had been running the city since Bumi was captured. Since the rebuilding began a few days after Bumi's escape on the Day of Black Sun, Omashu was just about back to its glory days as an earth kingdom city. Other than a few scorch marks here and there, one would never have known that the fire nation had ever occupied the city. Only some of the chutes of the mail system had yet to be reconstructed.

From Omashu, Aang and Katara headed straight for Ba Sing Se. They camped the few additional nights it took to get there.

Finally, Appa landed in front of Iroh's tea shop. Aang and Katara dismounted and walked in. When Iroh saw them, the three of them embraced as a grandfather would embrace his grandchildren.

"I did not expect you back so soon!" remarked Iroh.

After the embrace, Iroh headed towards the back of the tea shop. When he reemerged, he was carrying a tray of tea. "Come! Here is some jasmine tea for you. Let's catch up!" The three of them sat at a table and began to tell their tales.

"Rebuilding in Ba Sing Se has been progressing quite nicely these past few weeks," said Iroh. "All of the fire nation tanks and machines have been removed. There are no longer any fire nation flags either. It will take a little while to finish it all though – the Order of the White Lotus did some damage taking back the city. Oh, and I received messages from both water tribes. Things are going well with both of them, too. They understand the plan and are in agreement. How have things been on your end?"

"We flew to the Eastern Air Temple and met with the guru Aang studied with a few months back. Kuei had not been there, but he gave us some information about the Air Nomads," said Katara. She then went through the entirety of what they had learned.

"Well, for all our sakes, I hope something can be done about the airbenders," replied Iroh. "The cycle will surely be broken if new airbenders are not born or found."

"We also had a chance to visit with Toph. Aang studied more earthbending and we learned where King Kuei is," said Katara.

"You mean the fact that he is at the Northern Air Temple," asked Iroh.

"How did you…." began Aang. "Oh. I suppose you received a message from Sokka and Suki, too."

"Right here!" Iroh said as he held up his letter.

"Well then, you are up to speed. We are going to take off tomorrow for the Northern Air Temple. It should only take us 2 days to get there on Appa," said Aang.

"Do you two plan on spending the night?" asked Iroh.

"Yes, if you have room," replied Katara.

"Fine, fine," replied Iroh cheerfully. "You two are always welcome here, you know that. Take the two rooms you had a few weeks ago."

"Er….uh….Iroh. We...actually only need one room," said Aang.

Iroh gave him a sly side look. He paused – then smiled and nodded – and walked to the back of the shop with the empty tea cups.

"Katara, do you mind getting the things we need from Appa's saddle while I talk with Iroh about the king?" asked Aang.

"Sure, no problem," she replied. She gave him a kiss on the lips and left the room.

OlOlOlOlO

"Iroh? Iroh, can I talk to you for a second?" asked Aang as he walked to the back of the shop.

"Sure, come on back," he replied.

"What do you think I should do about Kuei?" asked Aang. "I mean, if he doesn't want to leave, what can I do?"

"Have you thought about what is really going on in his mind?" asked Iroh.

"Well, he's led a sheltered life here in Ba Sing Se for all those years. He never saw the outside world. He probably didn't have much fun either. Since he was freed from his obligations – or so he thought – he probably went crazy with all the new things he's found."

"That's what I think is happening, too. I know the parallels aren't exact, but does this remind you of anyone? Someone who had a great responsibility but was hesitant to take it on in favor of a normal life?"

"Oh," is all Aang could muster after hearing that.

"My advice to you is to appeal to his sense of duty. You were hesitant to take on your role as Avatar in the beginning, but you made the right decision and here you are. How will you get him to make the right decision as well?" Iroh asked.

"Thanks Iroh. That gives me some things to think about." Aang turned and walked a few steps.

"Oh, and Aang, I see your relationship with Katara has progressed. I'm surprised you are sleeping in the same bedroom. Are you two…..being careful?" Iroh asked.

"No need," replied Aang. "I took your earlier advice. We are going slow. We spend a lot of time together and like to cuddle when we sleep. There's some kissing, but that's all. Don't forget, I am only 12..."

Iroh interrupted, "Actually, I should say 'Happy Birthday' now while you are here. I may not get another chance before you leave to head north."

Aang hesitated and started counting the days on his fingers. "You're right! My birthday is only a few days away!" Aang realized. As with most of the airbenders, Aang had a fall birthday. "Thanks, Iroh. For everything."

OlOlOlOlO

Later that night, Aang and Katara were readying themselves for bed. Katara was taking out her braids in front of a large mirror and Aang sat on the bed watching her.

"Did you get what you needed from Iroh," asked Katara.

"Sure did," he replied. "I think I have a way to get Kuei back to Ba Sing Se."

"That's great, Aang. What are you going to do?" asked Katara.

"I'll tell you on the way there," replied Aang. "As for right now, there's something else I want to, ah…..talk about."

"What is it, Aang?" asked Katara.

"Actually, it's not so much talk as this." He stood up and came in behind her to gently kiss her neck.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his. She let out a slight "mmmmmm".

She turned to meet his eyes. Their lips met as they had so many times before these past few weeks. Their tongues danced inside her mouth, and then his. The rhythm of their kiss was very intense.

Soon the kiss ended and they hugged each other tightly.


	10. Chapter 10

**5 weeks ASC**

Aang and Katara spent a few more days in Ba Sing Se. It was a bit of a vacation per se and more "down time" together. Aang decided it was best for Appa to rest more than 1 night before taking off again for the Northern Air Temple to find Kuei. Finally though, it was time to go. Two days after leaving Ba Sing Se, they arrived at their destination.

"Wow, not much has changed at all!" remarked Aang. Just as there had been when they first saw the temple nearly one year ago, flying machines could be seen in the air surrounding the mountaintop.

"I wonder if Teo and his Dad are back. I would think they would be by now," replied Katara.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he were one of these air walkers out here now. He always did love to fly," said Aang.

Momo was looking out at the air walkers. He spotted something and ran to Aang, chirping.

"What is it, Momo?" asked Aang. Aang looked where Momo was looking and not surprisingly, there was Teo in his glider.

"Teo!" shouted Aang.

"Aang! Katara!" was the reply from the glider.

In a repeat of the past, Aang jumped off of Appa and started flying with Teo using his own glider made by Teo's father. The two had a grand time showing off their skills to each other, just as they had done months before. After about 10 minutes, the two landed. Katara and Momo were already on the landing area patiently waiting for the two show-offs to finish.

As Teo's glider was dismanted from his rolling chair by some folks who were manning the runway, Aang gave him a one-arm embrace. "Ha, ha! I forgot how much fun that was!" said Aang.

"Yeah, it's always fun to fly with you, Aang. There are so many things you can do as an airbender that I'll never be able to do," replied Teo. "I just love watching you."

The friends made their way into the main room of the temple. To Aang's surprise, the room looked different.

"Teo, I was telling Katara earlier how much this place looked the same as it did when we were here before. But that was only the outside. What's going on in here?" Aang asked.

"Ever since you left us the first time, Dad has spent some of his time restoring some of the paintings and statues that he destroyed over the years," replied Teo. "I think you inspired him on your first visit. He still loves inventing new things, but I think he now has a new found respect for history, art and architecture. He isn't giving up on technology, but wants a better blend of the two."

"Wow, this place looks so much more like it used to when the airbenders were still around," said Aang. "I made peace with what he had done, but I'm still glad that he wants to bring back some of its old glory."

Just then, Katara spotted him. Kuei walked into the main hall where the kids were standing. He saw them and turned around and walked out, hoping not to be spotted.

"Aang, I just saw the Earth King go out that door. If you hurry, you can probably catch him," said Katara as she pointed at one of the hallways leading out of the room.

"I'm on it," Aang replied as he started walking.

"Teo, do you mind if I have a word?" asked Katara.

"Not at all," said Teo. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I'm sure he doesn't realize it, but Aang's birthday is tomorrow. I would like to do something for him. Since we are at an air temple, I was hoping that you may have come across the recipe for fruit pies at some point," she said. "He always comments about how much he loved the fruit pies while he was at the Southern Air Temple."

"Oh I love fruit pies!" exclaimed Teo. "Dad told me he found it in an airbender cookbook in the air temple library when I was still a toddler. We still make them on special occasions as a matter of fact."

"Great!" Katara said excitedly. "Would you mind if I used the kitchen tomorrow and baked Aang a fruit pie? I may even make a few – I'm sure Momo and Appa would love one too."

"I'll go one better. I'll spread the news that it is Aang's birthday and we'll throw him a party tomorrow. I'm sure there are some folks who would love to throw a party – and that means decorating _and_ baking. You wouldn't have to lift a finger!"

"Wow, that would be great. Thank you so much," replied Katara.

"Just bring Aang into the sanctuary around 5pm tomorrow afternoon," said Teo. "I'll make sure the rest is taken care of."

"The sanctuary? I thought it was destroyed with all the fire nation weapons your Dad created," said Katara.

"Oh, you'll see. Trust me," replied Teo.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"King Kuei!" Aang shouted as he hurried after the man who had just left the main hall. "King Kuei! I need to talk to you!"

The Earth King did not stop. He even seemed to be moving faster once he heard Aang calling after him.

Kuei rounded a corner and by the time Aang got there, he seemed to disappear into thin air. The only thing there now was a closed door.

_Maybe he ducked in here_, thought Aang. Aang tried the door. It was locked. _Yup, I bet he thought I'd just keep going but I'm pretty sure he's in here._

Aang closed his eyes and put his hand up against the stone wall next to the door. He could feel a single heartbeat in the next room.

"King Kuei, I know you're in there," shouted Aang. "I really need to speak with you. Please don't make me blow down the door."

Click! The door was now unlocked. "It's unlocked," Aang heard from the next room. He tried the door handle and it now opened.

As Aang entered, he saw the Earth King scowling at him.

"Why did you run from us?" asked Aang.

"Because I do not want to go back to Ba Sing Se," replied Kuei. I have finally found my place in this world and I'm not leaving."

"You could have just said that," said Aang.

"I was afraid you'd make me go back if you caught me," said Kuei. "After all, you are the all-powerful Avatar. That's what your friends said anyway."

"No, I would never force you to do something you didn't want to do," said Aang. His thoughts drifted back to when he ran away after eavesdropping that he was being taken away from Monk Gyatso. "I do need to talk to you though. But we don't need to do it right now. I can see you are upset, but let me assure you, I'm not like that."

The Earth King didn't reply. He grabbed his chin between his fingers and thumb of his right hand and rubbed it a few times as if pondering the current situation.

"Let's just meet tomorrow over lunch and maybe we'll go flying together or something," said Aang. "I heard you really like to fly."

"Yes. Yes I do," replied Kuei. After a few silent moments, Kuei nodded in agreement. Aang could see he would need to gain his trust again. He also wondered why Sokka and Suki would tell him that he was going to force the Earth King back to Ba Sing Se.

"I'll see you tomorrow then. At mid-day, for lunch," said Aang. He turned and walked out of the room.

OlOlOlOlO

The next day Aang and the Earth King met in the dining area for lunch. Aang had decided not to press the immediate matter with the king. Rather he wanted to take his time. He knew something had happened to the king since the last time they were together when Ba Sing Se fell. He had been so cordial to him before. But now, he was being downright unfriendly.

"So Kuei, how did you get so into flying?" asked Aang.

Kuei's expression showed that he was not expecting that question out of Aang's mouth. "Ever since I've been here, my life has been so different." He paused, then continued, "No, actually, I take that back. Ever since the fall of Ba Sing Se, my life has been so different. Flying is just one of the many passions I have discovered."

"What is your best move?" asked Aang. The banter slowly turned friendly as the conversation went on.

"I'm partial to barrel rolls," replied Kuei. "I know they aren't the most difficult move out there, but I just feel so free when I do them. Teo is really good at the loop-de-loop, but they still make me nervous. I'm just a beginner compared to Teo."

"He's been doing it a lot longer. He may be young, but he's spent years flying," said Aang.

Over the course of the next hour, Aang and Kuei talked about all the moves they like to do while flying. Aang told Kuei of the glider surfing move that Monk Gyatso had shown Avatar Roku. It was something he wanted to try, but just hadn't had the chance yet. Kuei talked of his first landing on the landing pad – a crash landing. Quite funny in retrospect, but not so much at the time. The two exchanged stories and maneuvers as they talked during their mid-day meal.

After lunch, they both made their way to the landing area and did some flying. As he had done with Teo, Aang spent a few hours playing with Kuei in the air. The two of them had a marvelous time. Aang was hoping that Kuei was starting to let his guard down – he sure seemed like he was to him.

As dinner-time approached, Aang and Kuei landed in the landing area.

"Great job out there," Aang said to Kuei.

"Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment coming from a true airbender," replied Kuei.

Aang folded his glider back into his staff. Kuei was busy packing away his glider when a dark-haired woman came up and embraced him. "Kuei, I've missed you today," she said to him.

"I've missed you, too," he replied and gave her a peck on the lips.

Kuei turned to Aang. "Aang, I'd like to introduce you to Fei Yen," he said. "I met her soon after I departed your group all those months ago.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Fei Yen," said Aang as he bowed in front of her. Strangely, she seemed familiar to Aang. "Will you two please excuse me? I would like to go find Katara and make plans for dinner."

"Of course, Aang," replied Kuei. "I'll see you around. We should definitely do this again."

Aang turned and walked into the temple.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"So how did it go?" asked Katara when Aang walked into their room.

"I think it went _very_ well," Aang replied. "And I really enjoyed flying with him today, too."

"It has been a long time since you just went flying just to fly and have fun," noted Katara.

"You should see his girlfriend. She's beautiful. Dark flowing hair…and gray eyes," said Aang.

"He has a girlfriend?" asked Katara.

"Yup. Except I don't remember her when we were here the first time," he said. "I wonder where she came from."

"What's her name?"

"Fei Yen," he replied.

Both Katara and Aang were busying themselves with tasks in their room while they had this conversation. Pretty soon, their tasks took precedence and neither one of them said anything for about 5 minutes. Katara put away her sewing (she was working on some of the worn clothes that she and Aang regularly wear). Aang had picked up a scroll from the nightstand and was reading it intently.

"Wait. Did you say gray eyes?" Katara said to break the silence.

"Yes, they were definitely gray. Pretty striking actually," replied Aang.

"Aang, don't airbenders typically have gray eyes?"

"Yes, it is the most common eye color for airbenders, but there are others besides airbenders who have gray eyes," he replied. "But it isn't common."

"Now I'm curious," said Katara. "I'm going to have to find out more about Miss Fei Yen."

"Are you ready for dinner?" Aang asked.

"Let's go," Katara replied.

The two then walked out of the room to the dining hall.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Aang woke up alone. _I wonder where Katara is_, he thought to himself. He brushed his teeth, shaved his head, and got dressed before heading down to the main part of the temple.

He made his way over to the dining area – no Katara. Perhaps she is in the main hall? Nope. Then to the landing pad; perhaps she is watching the early morning flyers? But she wasn't there either. Aang walked into the old prayer field and finally made his way into the peace garden.

The garden was another example of airbender history that was not kept up once the Mechanist and his people overtook the Northern Air Temple. However, it was pretty obvious that someone was now tending the garden over the summer. It must have been part of the Mechanist's new attempt at meshing technology with the history of the temple grounds. There were plum blossoms, trellises with jasmine climbing all over them, white lotus plants and even several white dragon bushes. The entire area had a luscious floral aroma to it.

Perhaps the most spectacular part of the whole garden was the huge, shallow fountain found in the middle. Katara was in the fountain practicing her waterbending moves. Aang watched her forms from behind a spiral-shaped tree.

Aang thought back to when he had first met 13 year-old Katara – though she turned 14 soon after they met. He admired her figure and her lines as she practiced the flowing forms of a waterbender while standing in the fountain. Her birthday was only 2 months away and she would soon be 15 – and she definitely looked like she was more woman than girl these days. His favorite part of her, however, would always be her eyes. Her deep glacier-blue eyes looking back at him, especially when she was very close to him, always made him pause.

Katara had just finished a streaming-the-water move when she began to smile knowingly. "Aang, are you spying on me?" Katara asked him with a slight giggle.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied. "You caught me."

Katara bent up a huge wave and sent it towards Aang. He caught it and sent it back at her.

"Oh hey there Momo!" she shouted and waved behind Aang. He turned to look and at that exact moment, she turned the wave back in his direction again. This time Aang was not prepared and it splashed over him and got him soaking wet. Katara was laughing.

Aang sent a sly smile her way. "So. You think you're so funny, do you?"

"No!" she shouted while still trying to control her laughter. "No, no!" Aang walked right up to her and gave her a huge, soaking-wet hug. "I guess I deserved that."

"You sure did!" he agreed.

Aang sat on the edge of fountain and pulled her down next to him. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Why did you get up so early this morning?" he asked her in-between kisses.

"I didn't sleep well last night. When the sun rose, I thought I'd come down here to the garden to get some waterbending practice in," she replied.

"Have I told you that I love you today?" he asked playfully, still in between gentle kisses.

"No."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied.

Aang stood up, grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"Thanks for the fun this morning. It cheered me up," Katara said.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I guess I just miss some of the others a little bit. It's kind of like homesickness, but more about missing people than any particular place," she replied.

"Yeah, I miss our friends, too. But I'm happy we're here together though," said Aang. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her close for a hug. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," she replied.

"I'm going to head over to the prayer field then and meditate for a bit – if that's ok with you," Aang said.

"Sure. I'll go get some breakfast and tidy up the room," Katara replied. "I'll see you for lunch."

With that, they went their separate ways for the rest of the morning.

OlOlOlOlOlO

In the afternoon, Aang was in the air temple practice field working on his bending. He tried to spend at least 2 hours per day perfecting his bending techniques. At times, Katara would also practice with him; at other times, some of the earth kingdom folks who lived here would watch and assist when Aang requested it. But today, he was alone. Well, that is until just before dinner.

"Aang, how's it going?" asked Katara as she approached him.

He finished up the move he was in the middle of, then placed his hands and fingers together in the center of his waist, pushed down, and exhaled. When he released, he answered Katara, "It was a relatively good day. It's nice once in a while to have a solo practice just to really get my head straight as far as some of these moves go. It helps not to be distracted."

"I know what you mean," Katara replied. "Are you almost ready to head to dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm starving," Aang said.

The two benders walked into the main hall from the practice field. No one was around.

"Katara, when was the last time this place has been empty?" Aang asked.

"Oh, I don't think I've ever seen it completely empty," she replied. "I wonder where everyone is?"

"Hmmm. I hope things are ok. I'm sensing that something's wrong," said Aang.

They walked back outside. It, too, was devoid of any people. "I didn't notice on the way in. No one's flying. And no one is outside either. Where _are_ they?" said Aang worriedly.

"Let's go back inside and knock on some residential doors," replied Katara.

_Knock-knock. _Nothing. On to another door._ Knock-knock. _Again, nothing.

"Katara, I hate to worry you, but I'm starting to get concerned," said Aang.

"Let's keep checking," she said.

They checked the dining area, and even the bath house. No one was there. Katara grabbed Aang by the hand and led him down a long hallway to a large door. The door was locked and the only direct way in was airbending. "This is the last place I can think of," Katara said. "Open it and we'll check the sanctuary."

Aang performed a form and a blast of wind came from both hands into the funnels on the door. Slowly the mechanism turned and the door creaked open. It was very dark inside. The two teens slowly walked in.

"_SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AANG!"_

Aang took three steps back quickly. He was not expecting this. His mouth sat agape for about 10 seconds. He rubbed his two wide eyes. Finally, it sunk in and he said something.

"Oh my stars!" he exclaimed. "How did you….? Who planned….? Wow!"

Teo walked up to Aang. "Katara was going to do something for your birthday. When she asked me for help, we decided to make it a party for everyone. Almost everyone here played a part in the planning," Teo said.

"Teo, this is amazing!" Katara exclaimed. "Thank you so much for making this happen!"

"Katara, come with me," Teo said and pulled her away from Aang. "Wait here Aang. I'll only be a second."

Teo took Katara to the corner of the room where the food was. "Here, as promised," he said as he handed her a fruit pie made with plums.

"Oh Teo, thanks. I'm sure he'll love it," she replied.

Katara walked back to Aang carrying the fruit pie in both hands. Aang spotted her return and a large smile came across his face. "Thanks...," he started, but just then Momo swooped down and flipped the pie out of her hands. It landed on the ground. Momo landed and started lapping it up.

Aang laughed. "It seems Momo misses fruit pies as much as I do!" he exclaimed.

"C'mon, I'll take _you_ to the pies in the corner – not the other way around. Maybe you'll actually get one this time," said Katara smiling.

The evening was definitely being enjoyed by all. There was a ton of traditional air nomad food out. Aang hadn't had a true air nomad meal since he came out of the iceberg almost a year ago and he relished it. Aang also noticed that the sanctuary was almost back to its original state. It had not been used for parties by the air nomads, but the tables and chairs that were set up definitely didn't interfere with the ambiance of the room.

After dinner, a few air temple inhabitants got up and started to dance. "Katara, dance with me!" requested Aang after dinner.

"Absolutely," she replied.

Just as what happened at the fire nation secret cave dance party, pretty soon everyone else on the dance floor stopped and watched the two teens perform a tremendous show – a combination of martial arts and traditional dance. When they finished, there was clapping all around. The clapping died down except for one person off to Katara's left. That person kept clapping and clapping. Because it was an awkward situation, pretty soon Katara and Aang broke their final pose and looked over to see who was the enthusiastic supporter.

"Sokka!" shouted Katara. She ran up to him and nearly knocked him over with her hug.

"Hi little sister. Miss me?" he asked.

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon," she said.

"Well, we got to the North Pole and met with Chief Arnook. We delivered 'the plan' to him and there really wasn't much else to do. He agreed with it fully and sent his reply to Iroh in Ba Sing Se."

"I thought you'd stay a bit longer than a day or two," Katara said.

"Yeah, well, there's the Yue factor," he replied. "Everything up there reminded me of her and what happened the last time we were there. Suki was with me this time and it just didn't feel right. I feel like that is another chapter in my life and I've already gone onto the next one," Sokka attempted to explain.

Katara could tell he had a bit of an emotional hard time during this trip, so she decided to leave it alone. "Hungry? There's plenty of food still," Katara said. "I'm so happy to see you. I was just telling Aang this morning how much I miss some of our friends."

"What is this all about anyway?" Sokka asked.

"Today is Aang's 13th birthday," Katara replied.

"No way!" he shouted. He looked around the room, found Aang talking with Suki, ran up to him and put him in a brotherly head-lock. "Happy Birthday Airboy," he said to Aang.

"Cut it out!" Aang shouted playfully.

The four friends sat at one of the tables and caught up on their adventures over the past few weeks. Sokka and Suki told of their brief visit to the Northern Air Temple on their way to the North Pole. Aang finally got around to asking Sokka about Kuei as well.

"He was just frustrating," said Sokka, speaking of Kuei. "He copped this attitude when we told him what was going on. We couldn't convince him to leave."

"Did you happen to threaten him at all?" asked Aang.

"I don't think so," replied Sokka.

"Well, he said you told him I could and would force him to leave here against his will," explained Aang.

"Oh. Yeah, I do recall saying that," said Sokka. "That was the last time I talked with him. I guess I lost it a little bit and threw that one out at him."

"You don't really think I'd ever do that, do you?" asked Aang.

"No, I know you'd never do that. But I thought if I said it, it may twist his arm into going. It was my last resort try," said Sokka.

"Well, he wasn't very happy to see me," said Aang. "He was downright cold when I first ran into him here. It's going to take a while to get back into his good graces again. I need for him to trust me."

"Sorry if I messed things up, Aang," said Sokka.

"No matter. It is what it is. I've got my plan and I'm going forward with it," said Aang. "But let's straighten this out with the Earth King."

Aang looked around and found Kuei and Fei Yen on the dance floor. He flagged them down and waved them to where the group was sitting.

"Kuei, I don't want to spoil your fun, but I wanted you to know that Sokka and I have talked and there was a misunderstanding the last time he spoke to you," said Aang.

"Oh, is that right?" replied Kuei.

Sokka, not being very good at retractions or apologies, paused, sighed, and then finally spoke, "I should have never told you that Aang would force you back to Ba Sing Se. I said that out of frustration at the time and I know he would never really do it."

"Ah. I see," the Earth King said.

"Hopefully that clears things up a little," said Aang.

Kuei bowed and headed back to the dance floor with Fei Yen. As they walked away, Aang heard her whisper, "See. I told you there was an explanation."

"So Suki, how long are you two planning on staying?" Katara asked, purposely changing the subject.

"Oh, we were thinking from a few days to a week. We want to head down to the South Pole. I've never seen Sokka's home, and he's very anxious to see it again as well," said Suki.

"I wouldn't mind seeing home again," Katara remarked.

"We'll get down there again, Katara. I promise," said Aang.

"I know we will," she replied.


	12. Chapter 12

**6 weeks ASC**

Katara headed down to the dining area to get some breakfast one morning and found Suki alone.

"'Morning Suki. Where's Sokka?" asked Katara.

"He is sleeping in today. We were….um…up quite late last night," Suki replied as a slight blush came over her cheeks.

Katara seemingly brushed off the comment and went right onto the next subject. "Hey, I was thinking. It's been a while since I spent time with just the girls. I was thinking we could hang out together tonight – no boys allowed. What do you think?"

"Is it just us? Or did you have someone else in mind?" asked Suki.

"Well, you'll find out soon enough so I'll let you in on a few things going on around here. You know Aang is trying to get Kuei back to Ba Sing Se, right? He's still working on it, but have you met Fei Yen yet?" asked Katara.

"I have seen her around. She was here the first time we came through, but we didn't really get a chance to meet her. She's Kuei's girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah. We've had a chance to meet her a few times, and she seems really nice. Aang and I think there is something about her that's different and we want to try to learn more," said Katara.

"I didn't notice anything about her," said Suki. "She's beautiful for sure, but what about her has you and Aang taking notice?"

"What color are her eyes?" asked Katara.

"I have no idea. I don't notice things like that," remarked Suki. "What color are they?"

"Gray."

"No way!" Suki said in a very surprised tone. "That means…"

"It might mean nothing. That's why we need to find out more about her. But you and I both know that most air nomads have gray eyes and gray eyes in other nations are extremely rare. Guru Pathik, Aang and I all agreed that it was possible some air nomads escaped the genocide. It's worth looking into to see if there is any link," said Katara.

"So….I'm guessing you want Fei Yen to come hang out with us tonight," Suki said with a smile.

"Exactly," replied Katara.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Later that evening, Katara, Fei Yen, and Suki all met in the dining hall.

"I was thinking we could make a smoothie and go find a nice secluded place to talk. Y'know, to stay away from prodding eyes and ears," Katara said.

After getting their drinks, they three ladies slowly started walking around the grounds of the air temple.

"So Suki, how _was_ the North Pole?" asked Katara.

"Stressful," replied Suki.

"I knew something didn't go so smoothly when I talked with Sokka," said Katara.

"It was all Sokka doing it to himself though. The people treated us great. Chief Arnook was very gracious," said Suki.

"So why was Sokka having issues?" asked Fei Yen.

"Sokka's first girlfriend was Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe. The first time Aang, Sokka and I were there, we were attacked by the Fire Nation and Yue ended up sacrificing herself to help us win the battle….among other things," said Katara trying to make a very long story short.

"Oh, I see. So he lost Yue while he was up there before. Yeah, I can see how that might affect him," said Fei Yen.

"Not to mention now_ I'm_ with him meeting with _her_ father," said Suki. "Sokka was just worried and anxious how I would be treated. He also saw a lot of tributes to Yue all over the place - banners, statues. I'm sure he was torn – remembering the good times he had with her, and turning and seeing me right there next to him. I'm not threatened at all, believe me. But I can see how he would be feeling a little guilty and confused."

The friends soon found a few chairs next to a reflecting pool and sat down. The night was beautiful. The half-moon was just bright enough to see without additional torches being lit.

"What about you Katara? What have you and Aang been up to?" asked Suki.

"We flew to the Eastern Air Temple and found Guru Pathik again," Katara said. She turned to Fei Yen. "Guru Pathik was one of Aang's mentors while he was learning all the bending techniques last year," she explained for Fei Yen's benefit, again, purposely not going into a ton of detail. "We learned a few more things with the foremost being that the Earth King wasn't there."

Fei Yen raised her eyebrows at the mention of her significant other. She said nothing at first, but did appear curious as to what was truly going on and why all these people were so interested in her boyfriend.

"So….," she started. "Exactly what is the story with you guys and Kuei?" she asked.

"Suki wasn't with us the first time we met Kuei. He was still the Earth King and living in the palace at Ba Sing Se. We had convinced him to help us attack the Fire Nation on the day of black sun," said Katara. "What we didn't know was that the palace had been infiltrated and eventually we had to escape from Ba Sing Se. That's when it fell to the Fire Nation."

"Kuei mentioned this to me before. Go on," Fei Yen encouraged.

"We split up and Kuei went to travel the world. The rest of us eventually made our way to the Fire Nation. A few months later, Ozai was defeated. After the war, a council was held in Ba Sing Se where we planned on how to rebuild the world post-war. Kuei was deemed responsible for the Earth Kingdom. We needed his input on the rebuild and on the plan and didn't know where he was. Aang and I volunteered to find him, but as you know, Sokka and Suki found him first when they came through here on their way to the North Pole," said Katara.

"Kuei has told me that Aang has not mentioned Ba Sing Se to him in the week you've been here," Fei Yen said.

"That's true. I think he wants to broach the subject with him, but doesn't want to force the issue. Y'know, like Sokka did," said Katara.

"Ah yes," noted Fei Yen. "The Sokka incident."

"He genuinely likes Kuei and would like to get to know him better. There needs to be a trust between the two before they can truly discuss the plan for the future," said Katara. "I can't stop you from discussing it with Kuei, but I'd ask you to consider letting Aang and Kuei handle it themselves."

"Fair enough," said Fei Yen. "I love Kuei very much and would never let anything bad happen to him. I will, of course, express an opinion if asked. But I will step back from this for the time being and let things fall where they may. I support Kuei in his decisions and I want to see him happy, but I do understand why he may need to return to the capital."

"So Fei Yen," interjected Suki, "Where did you meet Kuei anyway?"

"When Kuei was 'traveling the world', he traveled north from Chameleon Bay to the east of Ba Sing Se," started Fei Yen.

"That's odd. There's not much over there," said Katara.

"On the maps there's not much over there," corrected Fei Yen. "My village is on an island right off the coast of the Earth Kingdom, to the northeast of Ba Sing Se. Kuei and Bosco came to my village in the late spring. He and Bosco were staying close to the village. They had some money, but chose to stay out in the forest by themselves. He came to town only to buy food and supplies. I was working in the local inn serving food to patrons when he came in. He flirted with me and, I must admit, I flirted back. I found it interesting that he started coming in to see me every day. He never left the outskirts of my village. Eventually, I invited him to dine at my home with my parents and brother. It was then we first found out who he was and what he had been through. Since he did not have a roof over his head, my parents offered to take him in as long for as long as he planned to stay at the village."

"Bosco, too?" asked Katara.

"Yes, Bosco, too. By that time, I had gotten to know Bosco quite well and I knew he was nothing to be scared of. Kuei stayed about 3 weeks in total and as he was packing to go, he asked me to go with him."

"How romantic!" remarked Suki. "I guess by then you two were a couple?"

"Yes. We quickly went from friends to dating in the time he was in Qi Cun," said Fei Yen.

"Is that the name of your village?" asked Suki.

"Yes, I've lived there my entire life until Kuei came," said Fei Yen.

"How many people live there?" asked Katara.

"Oh, probably, a few hundred. My parents told me that the village itself has been around for hundreds of years, but that my family settled there about a hundred years ago. My ancestors, Peng and Saura, were the first to arrive. I believe the war had just started and they helped the locals relocate the village and hide from the outside world. In their honor, they offered to rename the relocated village and Peng selected Qi Cun. My family has lived happily there ever since."

"So what happened when you Kuei and you left Qi Cun?" asked Suki. "Where did you go?"

"We pretty much followed the coastline north. Eventually, we found the Northern Air Temple. We've been here ever since. Kuei loves this place," said Fei Yen.

"So are you guys going to get married?" asked Katara.

"I hope so. I'm a bit older than your average bride. I've been waiting to find my soulmate. Now that I have found him, I hope it leads to marriage," said Fei Yen.

"How old are you anyway?" asked Suki.

"Twenty-one," replied Fei Yen.

"Oh, that's ancient!" Katara remarked with sarcasm.

"I know it's not _that _old, but take you guys for example. You guys are involved in relationships. How old are you?" asked Fei Yen.

"Almost fifteen," said Katara.

"I am fifteen," said Suki.

"And are you serious about your men?" she asked.

Both replied, "Yes, very serious."

"Do you think you'll get married someday?" asked Fei Yen.

"Yes," both said.

"And how old do you think you'll be when you get married?" asked Fei Yen.

"Probably sixteen or seventeen," said Katara. She then paused. "I see what you mean. But not everyone gets married that young. I still think you are ok at twenty-one."

"It was my choice not to marry the first boy I ever dated, so I can definitely live with my age," said Fei Yen. "I'm very content with the choices that I made. I can say that now in retrospect. I may never have found the love of my life – then where would I be in ten or twenty years?"

"Do you miss your village?" asked Suki, still trying to pry more information from Fei Yen.

"A little bit. Who wouldn't miss their home of twenty-one years as well as their family?" answered Fei Yen. "How about you guys? This isn't your home. When was the last time you were home?"

"It has been nearly a year for me," answered Katara. "I left with Aang late last fall and haven't had the opportunity to return yet. At least I've had some family around me most of the time. My brother, Sokka, and even my father at times."

"I left Kyoshi last winter to help with the war cause. But I've been a Kyoshi warrior for so many years now that I hardly ever saw my family anyway," said Suki. "I miss the people though. There are no other people in the world like the people from Kyoshi Island."

"Do you guys have any plans to go home again?" asked Fei Yen.

"Aang promised we'd go home soon," said Katara. "But I don't know when."

"I'm ok as long as I'm with Sokka," said Suki.

"Well, I'd like to go home again. Maybe if you guys convince Kuei to leave we can stop by my village again," she said with a slight smile. "I miss my family."

"So tell us about your family," said Katara. "Do you have many brothers and sisters?"

"Only one brother. His name is Kochi," she replied. "He's fifteen."

"Are both your parents still alive?" asked Suki.

"Yes, they still own and work at the inn in Qi Cun," she replied. "What about you, Katara? Tell me about your family."

"Well, you know Sokka is my brother. Chief Hakoda is my father and his mom, Gran-Gran is still alive. We lost my Mom in a fire nation raid when I was seven."

"I'm so sorry," said Fei Yen. "I didn't know."

The three young ladies very much enjoyed their night out together. Surprisingly enough, they never caught anyone trying to spy on them – they thought for sure that at minimum, Aang and Sokka would be nosing around.

In addition to family life, past jobs, experiences growing up, war talk and many other topics, finally the talk turned to a more personal nature….they talked about the boys.

"So Suki, you mentioned that Sokka needed to sleep in this morning," started Katara. "Are you guys, y'know…..going all the way?"

Suki was a little hesitant to start talking about this subject, especially with Sokka's sister. "Uh…isn't that a little personal?" she asked.

"No," she said then paused and thought for a moment. "No! Don't think I'm asking because I want to know how Sokka….yuck! No, I'm just looking for a little bit of information and maybe a bit of advice about Aang," replied Katara. "I know Sokka's my brother, but I consider you a very good friend, too. I hope that I can confide in you without you feeling weird about it."

Suki was feeling a little better about the situation after Katara's explanation and decided to answer, "Since you put it that way, the answer is yes. We've been _together_. It actually started not that long ago – it has only been a few weeks."

"Can I ask you what its like?" asked Katara. "Aang and I definitely enjoy our physical relationship, but we are taking it slow and, well, frankly, it's hard to be so patient and controlled some times."

"I know. Sokka and I were in the same boat. We're not as young as you guys, but we're still pretty young. More importantly, we're not married. Heck, we're not even engaged," Suki said. "It's hard not to go too far. But it's a decision you guys should make together and make when you're, uh, not in the heat of passion if you know what I mean."

"I totally agree," interjected Fei Yen. "I'm older than both of you yet I am still a virgin."

Both Katara and Suki's mouths dropped open a little.

"Really," said Katara in amazement.

"Yes. Why is that so hard to believe? I want to wait until I am married. I know these days it can be old fashioned, but it's what I want," said Fei Yen.

"Good for you then," answered Suki. "Like I said, it's a personal decision."

"Does it hurt? I've heard it really hurts," said Katara.

"There's a little pain during the first few minutes. That's just because your body isn't used to it yet. Some girls still have their hymen and breaking it can be a bit painful," said Suki.

"What's a hymen?" asked Katara.

"It's a flap that covers your womanhood," said Suki. "But I can tell you that it isn't always intact by the time you become sexually active. Sometimes women who train or who have very physical lives can break this membrane at a much younger age. I wouldn't be surprised if yours is already broken."

Suki continued, "After the pain of the initial…uh…entry, there is nothing in the world as pleasurable as having sex. It's nothing less than pure pleasure with the person you most love."

"So a virgin would just need to get past the initial pain to get to the fun part then," clarified Katara.

"Exactly," Suki replied. "And Katara, one more very important thing to think about when you guys decide that you are ready…"

"What's that?"

"Don't forget that sex is how children come into the world. If you guys don't want children, I would be very careful with what you do and when you do it," said Suki.

"Duly noted," said Katara.

OlOlOlOlOlO

That same evening Aang was walking about the air temple by himself. Over near the door to the outside, he spotted Kuei standing there.

"Hey Kuei," Aang said as a friendly gesture.

"Oh hi, Aang," Kuei replied casually. "What are you doing this fine evening?"

"To be honest, I'm a bit bored. With the girls off having a 'girls' night out', I'm not really sure what to do. I'm not hungry. I've already practiced forms and bending for a few hours today. I haven't spent an evening without Katara in weeks. I feel lost!"

"Hey guys," Sokka broke in as he was coming down the stairs from the residential part of the air temple.

"So now we are the matching set to the 'girls' night out,'" noticed Aang.

"I'm bored," Sokka said not knowing that Aang had just had the same complaint. "Do you guys want to do something?"

Let's go get a drink. The three friends walked to the dining area to get some watermelon juice. They sat down at one of the tables and began to talk. However, unlike the ladies, in which they wanted to get to know each other before talking about the most personal things, the guys jumped right in to their favorite subject.

"Sokka," Aang said, "Katara tells me that you slept in this morning. Any particular reason why?"

Now it was Sokka's turn to start blushing. "Um, Suki and I had a busy night last night."

"Oh yeah?" Aang replied, "Busy doing what?" as if he didn't know already.

"Oh, you know! Stop being coy" Sokka said. "I didn't realize Suki was going to be so _open_ about it with you guys."

"I wouldn't say she was _open _about it, but she did mention it to Katara this morning and I course I heard about it," said Aang.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about Sokka," said Kuei. "Everyone does it at some point in their lives. And all of you _are_ the best of friends….its only natural that you talk about these kinds of things."

"Yeah, Sokka, let's talk about it," goaded Aang annoyingly.

"Shut-up Aang! You're just being a little-boy-pain-in-the-butt," said Sokka. "How about a little maturity here?"

"Sorry," Aang said a bit more solemnly.

"I guess I'm just so inexperienced. I don't know how to talk about it without getting all silly and stuff," Aang said. "Heck, I couldn't even get Katara's undergarments off the first time…."

"What?" Sokka interjected. He turned, looked at Aang and gave him a really pointed look. Sokka then took a deep breath and continued, "Aang, I know you are my sister are tight. Really tight. I don't mind talking with you about this, but please, for spirit's sake do not go into a lot of detail, ok? For me?"

"I'll remember that," replied Aang.

Sokka let out a small sigh of relief.

"I actually spoke to Iroh back in Ba Sing Se. He gave me some good advice. We are taking it slow especially since we are so young," said Aang. "So rest assured, we may be sleeping in the same room and kissing and all, but not much else has happened."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what are your future plans?" asked Sokka. "Do you think you guys will get married?"

"Absolutely. I can't imagine my life without her. I'm ready to get married tomorrow if I thought that was the right thing to do. But I respect Iroh's advice. We are still so young. We are still changing physically, mentally and spiritually. I'd like to spend as much time together as possible now and grow as a couple. We'll get married in due time. I was thinking when Katara is about seventeen or eighteen, though I haven't talked to her about it yet."

"So Sokka, now that you know where I stand, do you mind telling me what _its _like?" asked Aang, changing the subject back to the juicy stuff.

"Kuei, would you like to do the honors?" deflected Sokka.

"I'm afraid I can't," replied Kuei. "I'm a virgin, too."

"You're kidding. You've got a hot girlfriend and you guys are holding out?" asked Sokka. "Why?"

"We're going to wait until we're married. I don't have anything against not waiting, but Fei Yen is adamant that she wants to wait. But I'm sure that's not far off. As a matter of fact, here's a secret for you guys – I'm going to ask her to marry me in the next few weeks!" replied Kuei.

"Congratulations Kuei," said Aang.

"That's great news," said Sokka, almost at the same time as Aang.

"That wedding night will be epic, I'm telling you," said Sokka.

"So how do you know if you should wait or not?" asked Aang.

"It's a personal decision between the two of you," replied Kuei. "I am waiting out of respect for Fei Yen. She has a very strong opinion and I do not."

"Suki and I just decided we wanted to express our love in physical terms and that waiting until marriage was unnecessary," said Sokka. "Plus we both wanted to know what it felt like." Sokka smiled and elbowed Aang.

"So what does it feel like Sokka?" asked Aang, trying to get as much information out of his friend while they were on the subject.

"Let's just say, the first time you have sex, don't have a lot of plans the next few days. It's all you'll want to do and you'll think about it _a lot_," replied Sokka.

"Is it hard to do?" asked Aang.

"Everything comes pretty naturally. I wouldn't worry about it too much," said Sokka. "You'll be just fine."

Kuei stood up and stretched. "Gentlemen, I think it is time I retire for the evening," he said in a faux-formal way. "See you guys tomorrow."

"'Night Kuei," both teens said in return as Kuei walked out the door to the main hall.

"You ready Aang?" asked Sokka.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Aang replied. The two friends walked into the main hall and up the stairs to the residential area and to their respective rooms. Aang opened the door to find Katara not there.

"Sokka, I think the girls are still out," said Aang.

"I think you're right. Suki's not here either," said Sokka. "They must be having a good night."


	13. Chapter 13

**7 weeks ASC**

After eight days, Sokka and Suki said good-bye to their friends (and relatives) and headed towards the South Pole. Katara shed some tears as she hugged Sokka, but she knew he was in good hands with Suki. She was a bit envious that he was going home, but she easily checked her jealously by realizing the alternative was remaining with Aang.

As per plan, Aang still had not talked directly with Kuei about a return to Ba Sing Se as yet. But soon it would be time to start planting the seed.

In the meantime, he felt it was a good time to send a note to Iroh letting him know what has been going on.

_Iroh,_

_I hope this letter finds you well in Ba Sing Se. I wanted to provide you an update on my progress with the Earth King._

_After an initial negative and defensive reaction by Kuei towards me, I decided the best way to move forward was to befriend him and earn back his trust before mentioning Ba Sing Se. This plan has been going well over the two weeks I have been here at the Northern Air Temple. _

_There was something else pertaining to Kuei I wanted to inform you of. He is going to ask a young woman named Fei Yen to marry him in the next week or two. She met him shortly after the fall of Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation and has been by his side ever since. She has gray eyes and there is something about her that I need to look into. Could it be that she has something to do with the Air Nomads? After my conversation with Guru Pathik, I am hoping there are other air nomads out there. _

_Sokka and Suki dropped by on their way south to the southern water tribe. Everything went well at the North Pole, though I think Sokka was glad to leave because of the Yue/Suki confusion. They stayed for about a week and it was so nice to see them again. We also got a chance to clear up an almost-mess that Sokka started. He inadvertently threatened Kuei telling him that I would force him back to Ba Sing Se – both you and I know I would never do that, but I guess Kuei didn't know. That's why he was so cold when I first talked to him._

_Katara is still by my side. Once Kuei agrees to return to Ba Sing Se, I am unsure what my next destination will be. Either we go directly to Fei Yen's village of Qi Cun to find out more about her and her family, or perhaps we head south to the southern water tribe before going to Qi Cun. Katara would like to visit home before continuing on our journey. _

_Aang_

OlOlOlOlOlO

One crisp late fall evening, Katara entered her and Aang's room to find him laying on his back on the bed. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he were either sleeping or concentrating deeply. Katara said nothing so she wouldn't disturb him.

When Aang realized Katara was now there, he opened his eyes and turned his head towards her. "Hi," was all he simply said.

"Oh hi, Aang. I didn't mean to bother you," she replied as she put on her nightclothes.

"You weren't. I was just waiting for you," Aang said. "I think we need to talk."

"Uh-oh," she said, mostly in a joking way. "That doesn't sound good."

"I've been meaning to bring this up since your 'girls' night out. It's not the easiest thing to talk about," said Aang.

"I think I know where you're going with this. I learned some stuff that night too and yes, we should probably have a talk," replied Katara.

Aang turned on his side and Katara laid down on the bed to face him.

"You want to talk about sex, don't you," said Katara.

"I think we should," said Aang.

"You're probably right. I was told it is always best to discuss this while not 'in the heat of passion'. I guess now is as good a time as any," said Katara.

"Katara, I _am_ going to marry you someday. You know that, right?" he asked.

"I was operating under that assumption," she replied in a playful way. "Plus you've said it at least three times in the last two months. What are you trying to ask?"

There was a pause in the room.

"Um. I'm not saying now is the right time to do anything. But when do you think the right time will be?" Aang asked.

"You mean, for sex?" she asked. "I heard some pretty good advice from Suki. She said it is up to us. I thought that was pretty smart on her part – not to let what others are doing, or what customs we should be following dictate how we feel about each other."

"Kuei told me he and Fei Yen are waiting," Aang said.

"Fei Yen told me that too," Katara replied. "But you have to admit, they are probably closer to marriage than we are."

"He's going to ask her very soon," said Aang.

"I figured as much," she said.

Another uncomfortable pause.

"Here's my take on the situation – I don't think now is the right time. But as far as we're concerned, I don't think we need to wait until our wedding night either," Katara said. "Aang, I know our destiny in my heart. We will live out our lives together as husband and wife. Whether we start our full physical relationship tonight or three years from now – well, what's the difference?"

"Age for one," Aang replied. "I know I'm an 'old soul'. I think I am older than I appear to be whether that is from technically being born 113 years ago, or from the Avatars who are part of me, or from what I've been through this past year. I'm just having a hard time reconciling when _is_ the right time. I'm afraid of rushing things. Even Iroh's voice keeps running through my mind to take it slow."

Katara leaned in and gave Aang a light kiss on the lips. "This is nothing to get worked up over," she said to him. "We'll know when its right. Let's just agree to let things fall where they may. I'm not going to regret anything making love with you whether that's sooner or later in our relationship. I love you, and I love being with you. That's just not going to change."

Aang felt better after Katara's reassuring talk. He leaned in to her and gave her a light kiss. And that led to some other things...


	14. Chapter 14

**9 weeks ASC**

On a sunny morning a few weeks later, Aang invited Katara to go flying with him. Katara wasn't into flying like so many of the others – Aang, Teo, and Kuei – but she did enjoy the occasional feeling of freedom and independence that flying could bring. Plus, as far as locales go, there was nothing like the air currents around the northern air temple. Although no one other than Aang could add any power to their glider, she found that one could still stay airborne for at least an hour without having to land.

On this particular day, after flying on their separate gliders, Aang had Katara land on the landing pad.

"I want to try something," he said to her as he twirled his glider back into a staff.

"What?" she asked.

He put his staff off to the side and walked over to her glider and put his hands on the triangular shaped bar that a rider normally hangs onto when in the air. "Let's go together."

"Oh, Aang, I don't know. Will this glider be able to hold us both?" she asked.

"I think so. Plus I'm an airbender – there's lots I can do that a normal air walker can't ," Aang replied. "C'mon, let's go."

With that he pulled her to the edge. They stepped off and headed straight down into the valley. The next thing you know, the nose of the glider is heading right for the sun – Aang had turned the glider 180 degrees and they were now headed for the upper reaches of the sky.

"A-ha! This is great Aang!" Katara screamed, liking the extra oomph that an airbender can add to the flying experience.

Aang leveled them out and they flew a bit away from the air temple. They were flying in between mountains when Aang asked, "Have you been out this way before?"

"No. I usually just stay close to the temple. The air currents there are a bit more predictable there. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen any other person out this far before," she replied.

"I guess you're right. I take it for granted sometimes that I can fly some places that you and the others can't," he said.

Aang turned his head and looked at Katara. She was smiling, obviously enjoying the flight with him. She closed her eyes and let the wind sail past her face and pull back her long brown hair.

Aang noted how beautiful she looked and a slight grin appeared on his face.. Katara opened her eyes and looked at him. "What?" she asked.

"I'm just admiring the view," he said. Katara blushed.

Aang moved his to her on the bar and leaned in for a kiss.

OlOlOlOlOlO

After Aang and Katara landed, the two went for some lunch in the dining area. That afternoon, it was back to the daily training regimen for both of them. This was an unusual day for Katara in that she normally practiced her waterbending in the morning. However, because of the flying 'date' she had with Aang, she decided that one afternoon of training wouldn't be so bad. Not only that, but Aang had agreed to go over some waterbending moves with her in the shallow pond.

As the two of them were just about to the peace garden, Katara spotted two figures sitting on a bench.

"Shhhh!" she quietly said to Aang while putting her forefinger over her lips. She grabbed him and pulled him behind a bush.

"What is it?" he whispered back.

"Look," she said and nodded towards the bench.

It was Fei Yen and Kuei. Aang and Katara couldn't hear what was going on or what was being said, so they just sat back and observed for a few moments.

Kuei was facing Fei Yen at an angle so that their knees were almost touching. He had both her hands in his. It was a formal pose; they were definitely discussing something very serious.

"Let's go," said Aang, wanting to continue to the pond.

"No!" she said insistently. "This looks like a situation you just don't barge in on."

A few minutes went by. Kuei and Fei Yen rose from the bench and started walking towards Aang and Katara's hiding place. Aang and Katara quickly rose from their crouching position and pretended like they had just gotten there and hadn't been sitting there watching them all along.

"Katara!" shouted Fei Yen. "I'm getting married!"

"Oh Fei Yen, that's wonderful news!" Katara replied back grabbing Fei Yen for an embrace.

"Congratulations Kuei," said Aang as he patted him on the back.

"Did this just happen?" asked Katara.

"It sure did," replied Fei Yen. "Katara, I need someone to talk to or I'm going to just burst…come with me!"

"Um…sure. Aang, do you mind?" Katara asked.

"No, no. You two go ahead. One day without practice won't do you any harm," Aang said. "As for me, I'll be in the practice field working on my earthbending and firebending. Waterbending will have to wait for another day."

"Thanks Aang," Katara replied.

The two girls giggled as they walked away, back towards the door to the temple.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Katara and Fei Yen ended up in Fei Yen's room and sat down on the bed.

"So Fei Yen, how do you feel? Did you know it was going to be today?" asked Katara.

"Oh, I'm super-giddy. I'm just full of happiness. I didn't see it coming quite this soon!" Fei Yen replied.

"Where do you think you'll get married?" Katara asked.

"I want to get married back in Qi Cun. Kuei doesn't have many friends – and those that he does have are more than willing to travel a bit to come to the wedding. It just seems natural that we should get married there," Fei Yen said.

"Are you going to go back home before the wedding?" asked Katara.

"I know Kuei won't want to. He may not even want to get married there. He just wants to stay here. I love the people who live here, but they aren't my family. I hope he agrees to go back for one visit before the wedding, just so I can get my Mom to help me plan," said Fei Yen. "I want to visit in person – you can't just do things like that sending messenger hawks back and forth."

"I'm sure he'll agree," replied Katara. "How about a dress?"

"I've always wanted to wear my Mom's dress," Fei Yen said.

"You _are_ old-fashioned, aren't you?" noted Katara. "First waiting on the sex, now you are going to wear your Mom's wedding dress?"

Fei Yen smiled at her. "It's just how I was brought up. Family is close and traditions are followed."

"To each their own," replied Katara. "I'm not one to judge. Whatever makes you happy."

"Katara, will you be a bridesmaid?" Fei Yen asked.

"You want me to be in your wedding?" Katara replied rather surprised.

"Yes. I've got lots of extended family who I can ask, but you and I have become great friends. We've spent hours everyday together. I would be honored if you would stand up with me – and be by my side as I plan."

"Yes! I'll be a bridesmaid!" Katara answered excitedly. She gave Fei Yen a hug.

OlOlOlOlOlO

That evening, Aang went to Kuei's room. Now that he was getting married and presumably making plans for the future, Aang was convinced he was out of time with regards to the subject of Ba Sing Se. On the way, he stopped by the dining area to pick up some watermelon juice, his favorite.

_Knock-knock_

"Enter!" he heard from the other side. Aang turned the knob.

"Kuei, how's the wedding planning going?" he asked sarcastically. "I know the girls were gone together for about three hours this afternoon. Is the big event all planned?"

"Heh, heh," he giggled. "You'd think, wouldn't you? Fei Yen has asked to get married in Qi Cun. She also wants to leave immediately for a trip to Qi Cun to let her family know and to make initial plans."

"Are you ok with all of that?" asked Aang.

"I'd rather marry here, but again, she has strong feelings about it. I love her and want to make her happy," replied Kuei.

A minute went by and nothing was said.

"Aang, I think I need to return to Ba Sing Se," Kuei said.

Aang had just taken a sip of his juice. When he heard that last statement, he forcefully spit it out all over Kuei's bed.

"Oh sorry about that," Aang said as he bended the juice out of the sheets. "What did you just say?"

"I was just saying that I think I need to return to Ba Sing Se," replied Kuei.

Aang didn't know where this was coming from. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation expecting that Kuei would put up a huge fight about returning to Ba Sing Se. Now he, himself, is bringing it up and wants to willingly return without an argument? Weird.

"Kuei, I have a confession. I don't mind telling you this now that we are good friends," said Aang. "I initially came here on a mission to get you to return to Ba Sing Se."

"I know," Kuei replied. "I figured you did."

"Do you mind if I ask…" Aang began.

"….what changed my mind?" Kuei finished.

"Aang, when you first met me in Ba Sing Se, I was immature. Sure, I was twenty-five years old, but as you know, I didn't have any human friends, I had never left the palace before, and I was naïve about many things. When Ba Sing Se fell to the fire nation, all I wanted to do was be free and go where I wanted and be with whom I wanted. I have now spent six months on my own. I have made good friends. I have been free to go and do what I want. I have met the woman of my dreams. But now that there is a wedding on the horizon and a family will surely be coming soon. It's time to grow-up," Kuei said.

"Wow," Aang said amazed at the change in the man in front of him. He hadn't realized this had been going on in Kuei's head all along.

"And there's one more thing, too," Kuei continued. "Everyday you, me, Fei Yen and Katara spend time together. You are only thirteen yet you are so responsible. I admire you, Aang. Sometimes I have to step back and remind myself that you aren't just a young friend – you are the _Avatar_. You defeated the Fire Lord two months ago. You practically have the whole weight of the world on your shoulders – not to mention that you are the last airbender – and look at how you handle it. Then look at how I handled being Earth King…there's simply no comparison. You are a role model for me."

"Have you said any of this to Fei Yen yet?" asked Aang, impressed by the words that just came out of this friend's mouth.

"I've mentioned some of it in passing," Kuei replied. "I know what she wants and I think its time we sat and had a serious conversation about the wedding and about our future."

"Kuei, I wish you all the luck in the world," Aang said as he gave him a one-arm hug. "You're going to be a fantastic Earth King….uh…..again."

OlOlOlOlOlO

During the next week, many plans were discussed and agreed upon. Fei Yen and Kuei decided that they wanted to get married in the late spring. Kuei agreed to both of Fei Yen's requests – that the wedding take place in Qi Cun and that they visit there shortly to inform her family of the upcoming nuptials.

In turn, Fei Yen, who wasn't nearly as attached to the Northern Air Temple as Kuei was, agreed to return to Ba Sing Se to live in the palace with her new husband after they were married.

As a result of these plans, Aang and Katara had to make plans of their own. Aang was anxious to see the village of Qi Cun so he suggested they escort Kuei and Fei Yen there in the next week or two. After the visit there, he promised Katara that they'd make their way south to the Southern Water Tribe for a much needed visit. Along the way, they'd stop again at several places to check on the progress of the world's rebuilding (and, of course, visit friends). In late spring, they'd be back in Qi Cun for the wedding.


	15. Chapter 15

**10-12 weeks ASC**

The four friends – and their animal companions – packed up their belongings and headed for Fei Yen's home of Qi Cun. They decided to hug the northern coastline of the earth kingdom – similar to how Kuei and Fei Yen had done months ago when they initially left Qi Cun to head west.

Although Appa was one of the group, not much traveling was done on his back during this journey. With two adults, two teens, and a full-sized bear, it was felt that unless there was an emergency of some sort, most of the traveling should be done on foot.

It took a full two weeks to get to Qi Cun – or at least the area in which it was. As was mentioned earlier, the village was not easily found. Not only was it on an island, but even so, it was invisible to any casual observer.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"We're here," Fei Yen said as she turned to face her traveling companions.

"I don't see anything, Fei Yen," remarked Katara.

The group was standing at a cliffside looking at an island across a small strait of water.

"That's definitely the island, we just need to get over there," Fei Yen said.

"Appa can take us. It's probably better if we go in two groups though," Aang said.

After Appa carried Fei Yen, Katara and Bosco across the water, he went back to get Momo, Aang, and Kuei.

"Follow me," Fei Yen said as she started to walk inland.

The group of friends followed her for about 20 minutes as she led them further away from the mainland. She stopped in front of a large, natural rock wall and turned towards her friends and said, "So, do you see anything?"

Kuei smiled knowingly.

"Um. No," replied Katara.

Aang twirled open his glider and pushed off the ground. As soon as he cleared the wall, he let out a "Whoa". He had found the village. It was surrounded by a rock formation on all sides. No one other than some one flying would have been able to find it easily. Qi Cun definitely reminded him of the Fire Nation capital city, though on a much, much smaller scale.

After landing, Aang said to Katara, "You should see this. The town is surrounded by rock on all sides."

"Yes, it is our natural protection. My ancestors Peng and Saura, in light of the new Fire Nation War, brought the villagers across the water to the island and into this naturally carved out area 100 years ago. Qi Cun has been virtually invisible to the casual traveler ever since," said Fei Yen.

"So Kuei, how did you find this place then?" asked Katara.

"One day, as I was traveling up the coastline, I looked over and saw a person on the island. I called to him, but when he saw me, he ran away. That peaked my curiosity," he replied. "I simply went to the island to see what was over there. At first, I couldn't find anyone or anything that would even hint that people lived here. But eventually, I found a break in the rock….over there." Kuei then pointed to an anomaly in the rock.

The group walked to the anomaly and found that it was simply an S-shaped opening to the village beyond the rock.

"I stayed out here in the forest for at least a week before Fei Yen's family invited me to their home," continued Kuei.

"Look at this opening," said Aang. "Looking straight on, you'd never know it was there."

"We've been very lucky," said Fei Yen. "My people have lived in safety for the last 100 years because of this location."

The group went around the S-curved opening to the town and started walking down the main street in the center of town. Appa simply flew over the rock wall.

"Fei Yen!" shouted a small boy. He ran up to Fei Yen and jumped into her arms for a huge hug.

"Everyone, this is Yin. He's my cousin," said Fei Yen. She turned to face him, "Yin, are my parents at the inn?"

"They should be. When I ate lunch they were there," Yin responded.

Aang took a look at the boy. _Gray eyes_, he thought to himself.

The group followed Kuei and Fei Yen to the inn. When Fei Yen's mother saw her, tears welled up in her eyes. 

"My daughter!" she said ecstatically. She ran up and gave her a hug. "Deshi, Fei Yen is back!"

"What was that Haruko?" a man said as he came from the kitchen in the back of the inn, still wiping a bowl with a hand towel.

"Fei Yen!" he shouted, and he ran up and put his arms around the already hugging ladies.

When the hug broke, Fei Yen addressed her parents, "Mom, Dad. You already know Kuei. This is Avatar Aang and his companion Master Katara."

"The Avatar?" Deshi aloud to himself. "It is quite an honor to have you at my inn." Deshi and Haruko bowed to the newcomers.

Aang and Katara bowed back. "No, it is an honor to meet the parents of our good friend Fei Yen," answered Aang.

"Mom, Kuei has asked me to marry him!" Fei Yen excitedly told her Mom even as the formality of the introductions weren't fully over with.

"What?" said Haruko. "My little girl….getting married?" Another embrace ensued between the two women.

"We must plan an engagement party straight away then!" proclaimed Deshi.

"Mom, can Aang and Katara use one of the extra rooms above the kitchen during their stay?" asked Fei Yen.

"Absolutely. Er…don't you mean two rooms?" asked Haruko.

"Oh, yes. I guess they'll need both rooms above the kitchen," remarked Fei Yen.

Katara recalled the "old-fashioned" nature of Fei Yen's upbringing. _Ah well,_ m_ore sneaking around_, she thought.

"The stairs are right over there," Fei Yen said as she pointed to the corner of the inn. "There are two rooms above the kitchen. Feel free to take your things up there at your convenience."

Aang and Katara went outside and unpacked their things from Appa's saddle. They took their belongings up the stairs to the rooms above the kitchen.

"You take that one, I'll take this one," Aang said.

"I guess it won't be hard to sneak. There's nothing else up here except these two rooms and a bathroom," said Katara, kissing Aang on the lips before turning to go into "her" room.

A few minutes later, she was at his doorway once again.

"So what do you think so far?" Katara asked.

"Yin has gray eyes. So do does Haruko," he answered. "This week should be an interesting one to say the least to figure out what has gone on here in the past 100 years."

"I'm hungry, let's go get some lunch downstairs," said Katara.

When they arrived down in the main eating area of the inn, Fei Yen, Kuei, and her parents were already seated at a table eating a meal of rice and beans.

"There's more on the stove if you'd like some," Deshi said to the pair.

Five minutes into the conversation, a lean, muscular boy of about 15 walked into the inn.

"Hi Mom. School's out for lunch and I came home to get some grub!" He then noticed Fei Yen. "Big Sis, you're back!"

"Aang. Katara. This is my brother Kochi," Fei Yen said.

"Beans and rice. _Again?_" Kochi remarked.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to," said Haruko to her son. "You know where we keep the food. Cook something else if you don't want it." Kochi walked into the kitchen and Haruko turned to her guests, "Typical teenager." She smiled.

It was a long lunch for the group. Much was discussed about wedding plans, dates, dresses, and the like. During the entire discussion, patrons of the inn would pop in and out. All were known well by Haruko and Deshi and were greeted warmly. Aang and Katara noted that most of them had gray eyes.

After listening to so much wedding talk, Aang decided to change the subject to something he was more interested in.

"So Haruko, Fei Yen told us a bit about your town…" he began.

"Oh did she?" Haruko replied. "What exactly did she tell you?" she said with a slight tone of defensiveness. Her mood also became more serious.

"Just that much of your family lives here. And that the town itself was once on the mainland, but that your ancestors Peng and Saura helped to move and hide the town after the war began," Aang replied.

"Yes, what you say is true," Haruko noted. "You must excuse me. I have lived my entire life during the war. I still find myself in 'war-mode' as if it was still important to stay hidden from the outside world."

"My family did originate from Peng and Saura. I can tell you that most of the people in this town are direct descendents of either the two of them or the villagers they helped to rescue 100 years ago," continued Haruko.

Just then an older woman entered the inn. She looked to be in her 60's.

"Good afternoon Haruko and Deshi. I have a message for you," the woman said as she handed a scroll to Deshi.

"Good afternoon Kotori," he said as he opened the scroll.

"I hope you take the message to heart," the woman said.

"But the war is over…," said Deshi.

"No matter. I am the Keeper and I must insist you abide by the instructions just handed to you," Kotori said.

"Yes, Keeper," replied Deshi, as he put the scroll into his robe.

Kotori turned and left the inn.

"What was that all about?" Katara whispered to Aang.

"I have no idea," replied Aang.

"Fei Yen. Haruko. I need to speak with you for a moment….privately," Deshi said to his wife and daughter. He motioned for them to join him out the back door of the inn.

A few minutes later, Deshi and his family re-entered the dining area of the inn. "Aang and Katara, Fei Yen would like to offer you a tour of our beautiful village. You'll be with us for about a week or so, correct? You'll need to know where things are located."

"Um….sure," replied Aang. "Thanks."

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

The four friends walked casually around Qi Cun. Fei Yen was sure to point out small shops where traveling supplies, food, and medicine could be bought. She also pointed out various relatives' houses, including the original house belonging to Peng and Saura.

As the tour was coming to a close, Aang finally opened up to Fei Yen and asked her about the old woman who delivered the scroll.

"Her name is Kotori," Fei Yen said. "She is Peng and Saura's granddaughter and is the first person with title of the Keeper."

"So what does a Keeper do?" asked Katara.

"Basically, she….um….well, certain knowledge has been passed down to her and she is the only one who knows _everything_ about this town's history," said Fei Yen. "All of us know quite a bit about our history, but she knows it all. It's written down somewhere and she is the only one who knows where it is. She also can make decrees that we all must follow, especially in times of crisis or threat."

"What is so special that only one person can know the history of your own town and people? And make unilateral decrees?" Aang asked.

"I really don't know," Fei Yen replied. "This is just how it has always been. Before Kotori became Keeper, Peng and Saura themselves were the protectors of the history. I imagine there will soon be a time when Kotori looks for a successor."

"So what did you Dad tell you after he read the scroll?" asked Katara.

"That, I cannot tell you. I'm under an oath not to disclose it," answered Fei Yen.

"This whole situation reminds me of the Dai Li," Katara whispered to Aang. "The protectors of the 'cultural heritage' and all. There are definitely secrets being kept in this village."

They returned to the inn and said good-bye to Fei Yen and Kuei, who were both staying at the main house. Aang and Katara headed up the stairway to their rooms.

"I'm going to take a look at that scroll," Aang told her.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara were sleeping together in her bedroom (the one with the larger and more comfortable bed). Katara woke up to a noise she heard coming from Aang's side of the bed. She looked over and saw Aang, dressed in his all-black outfit.

"Are you really going to find that scroll _now_? In the middle of the night?" she asked him.

"I can't sleep. I need to find out what's going on and that scroll is the next clue," Aang replied. "Get some sleep. You've got a big day with Fei Yen tomorrow."

"Yeah right. Like I'm going to be able to sleep with you out gallivanting about," she said as he walked out the door.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang quietly opened the front door of the main house belonging to Fei Yen's parents. To avoid creaky floorboards, he was sure to air bend himself so that he barely touched the floor once he entered the house. He made his way to Deshi and Haruko's bedroom. They were sound asleep.

He looked around, but found nothing. Deshi and Haruko didn't stir a bit as a result of Aang's presence.

_Darn. Where could that scroll be?_

He peeked into several other rooms including a washing room, and the bedrooms of the others. _It wouldn't be in their rooms_, he thought to himself.

Aang finally came across a room that looked like a private study. _This looks like the place where Deshi does his paperwork for the inn. It's definitely a possibility…._

Aang went through several piles of papers to no avail. Then he started opening desk drawers. On the right side of the chair, in the top drawer was a scroll. _This could be it. _He unfurled the scroll and read.

_Citizen of Qi Cun,_

_As you may have noticed by now, we are being visited by several outsiders, one of whom is the Avatar. As these visitors are not immediate threats to Qi Cun, I invite you to bring them into your hearts and homes. However, as the Keeper, I insist that our history and private customs remain just that - private. It is still not acceptable – or safe - to open ourselves up to the world. _

_A special note to those with abilities. Please keep yourselves controlled and hidden during the outsiders' visit._

_Kotori_

_Keeper of History, Keeper of Secrets_

Aang tried to process what exactly was being said. "Abilities? Controlled?" he whispered to himself. _What on earth….?_

Aang rolled the scroll back into its original format and placed it back into the desk drawer. He quickly and quietly left the house the same way he entered. He made his way back to Katara's room above the kitchen of the inn. She, of course, was awake waiting for him to return.

"So did you find the scroll?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did," he replied.

"Well….," she started, "what did you learn?"

"I'm still processing it to be honest," he replied. "I learned that her title isn't just Keeper. It's Keeper of History and Keeper of Secrets."

"Secrets? I guess we were right about this place having some secrets," Katara said.

"Yeah. I can tell you that they don't see us as a threat, but they still want to keep their secrets from us. The scroll ended with a request that those with 'abilities' keep them 'controlled and hidden' while we are here," Aang said.

"What does that mean? What abilities?" Katara asked.

"I'm not 100% sure," Aang replied. "First, most of these townspeople have gray eyes, just like Fei Yen and her family. Now, a person called a 'Keeper' is asking for those with abilities to stay controlled and hidden. Katara, could this town be descended from air nomads? Could these abilities be airbending-related?"

"We can only hope," she said.

"I have so many questions," he said to her. "I want to know what the history of this town is and what secrets it holds. I need to think of a plan."

"Aang, I know you are curious about all this, but we really do need to get some sleep," Katara said. "Please try to sleep for me. We can make plans tomorrow."

"Ok, I'll try. But no guarantees," he replied. Aang laid there thinking as Katara feel fast asleep.

_Could this really be true?_ He thought to himself as he attempted to drift off to sleep.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning Aang and Katara woke to bright sunshine coming through the window.

"You don't look so good," Katara said to Aang. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Only a little," he replied.

The two teens decided to scope out the island to look for a place to practice their bending while they were here. They dressed for practice and went outside the rock wall that guarded the town. This area was still very much a forest with trees and rocks all around.

About a mile outside of town, they came across a fast-flowing, wide stream.

"Well, it's a start," Katara said. "Let's follow this and see if there is a bigger body of water nearby."

Aang nodded.

Katara and Aang started following the stream towards some small rocky hills nearby. As they got closer to the hills, they saw a waterfall coming off of a cliff, falling into a nice-sized pond.

"This is a perfect place to practice waterbending," she noted. As they turned to walk closer to the water, they suddenly heard voices coming from the other side of the pond. They stopped behind a large tree to listen.

"Shan, come on. You can do it!"

Aang recognized the boy who was shouting. It was Kochi, Fei Yen's brother.

"It's a little high…" Shan replied.

"Are you _scared_?" Kochi asked the boy.

"Actually, _yes_. My Mom would kill me if I fell and hurt myself," said Shan.

"Any other takers?" Kochi asked. Two other boys stood there looking up at the cliff. They shook their heads back and forth.

"Oh you ninnies! Look how easy it is!" he shouted as he jumped from rock to rock making his way up the cliff.

"Kochi, you know we can't do it the way you can," one of the other boys remarked.

"I know Chung, I know," Kochi replied. "Sometimes I forget how difficult it is when you have to rely on your arms and legs alone." With that, he jumped from one of the highest rocks and landed safely…and softly…back on the ground.

"Let's go fishing," Shan suggested.

"Sounds good, but I need to go back to the village to get my pole," Kochi replied.

"Beat you back there," Chung said. The four boys ran from the pond and into the forest on their way back to the village.

Aang turned to Katara. "Did you see that?" he asked.

"That wasn't _normal_," she replied.

"I would have to say he was quite light on his feet," Aang said.

OlOlOlOlOlO

After bending practice, Aang and Katara walked back to the village. Once they went through the rock opening, Aang didn't head back towards the inn.

"Where are you going, Aang?" Katara asked.

"I want to talk to Kotori," he replied.

"Aang, we're still new here. She's not going to tell you anything," Katara said.

"Still, I have to try," Aang said.

As they neared Kotori's house – it was part of the earlier tour Fei Yen had given them – Aang and Katara spotted the front door being opened. Quickly, they ducked behind the house next door to avoid being seen.

Kotori exited the house and headed in the direction of the village entrance.

"Let's follow her," said Katara quietly.

The two of them stepped out from behind the house and started walking down the street a good distance behind Kotori so they wouldn't be seen.

"Aang! Katara!" Kuei shouted. "I didn't see you there a moment ago!"

Both Aang and Katara hung their heads down because their plan had been foiled – at least for today.

"Fei Yen has been looking for Katara all morning. After lunch, she went to the tailor's shop a block away from her house. Can you meet her there, Katara?" Kuei asked.

"Of course," Katara replied as she started walking away from the two men.

After a few minutes, she arrived at the tailor shop.

"Katara, where have you been?" Fei Yen asked.

"Aang and I found a pond this morning outside of the village. We practiced our waterbending for a few hours," Katara replied.

"I was hoping you would mind keeping me company – and lending a few opinions – while I get my Mom's wedding dress tailored for me," said Fei Yen.

"No, not at all," said Katara.

With that, Fei Yen put on the slightly oversized wedding dress. The tailor started doing her work taking in the sides and the length. Katara wondered if she could get any more information about what she had seen this morning from Fei Yen.

"So Fei Yen…" Katara started.

"Yes?" came the reply.

"As we walked to the pond this morning, Aang and I saw your brother and some friends hanging out by the cliffs near the pond," Katara said.

"The ones with the waterfall?" Fei Yen clarified.

"Yes, that's the place," Katara said.

"None of the boys except your brother would climb the cliffs – and when he did, he didn't use his arms and feet – he simply lept rock to rock until he reached the top," Katara explained. "The way he did it just wasn't _natural_."

Fei Yen flushed a bit. "I think you were just seeing things, Katara. I've seen that cliff. There is no way to just jump up the rocks to reach the top." Katara suddenly had visions back to Joo Dee, telling her things were one way when in reality they were another.

Katara was going to keep pressing the matter when, just then, Kochi and his friends looked in the front window of the tailor shop. They were making funny, immature faces at Fei Yen. She jumped down from the short podium she was standing on, hiked up her dress, went outside, grabbed Kochi's arm and then pulled him into a back room of the tailor shop.

Katara could not hear the entire conversation. Every once in a while, she could hear a word or two. "Irresponsible." "Careful." "Jumping." "Kotori."

Kochi came from the back of the shop and ran out the front door. He was followed from the back by Fei Yen who once again took her stance on the podium for her fitting.

"Is everything ok?" asked Katara.

"Yes, everything is fine," replied Fei Yen.

"This has something to do with Kotori, doesn't it?" she asked.

Fei Yen stared at Katara for a few seconds not quite knowing how to answer. Her shoulders finally sagged and she sighed. "Katara, I don't like keeping secrets from good friends, especially ones I don't agree should be kept. But it is not my place to question. All I will tell you is that Kotori has the answers you and Aang seek. I cannot tell you anymore than that."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Katara told Aang the entire story of what happened at the tailor's shop earlier that afternoon.

"It seems that no matter what we see, or what we guess, bottom line is that we'll have to somehow get to Kotori," Aang said.

"Or get to where she keeps her secrets," Katara added.

"What do you mean?" asked Aang.

"You didn't catch what Fei Yen said yesterday? Kotori has a written history somewhere. No one knows where it is," replied Katara.

"That's right. She did say that, didn't she?" said Aang. "Hmmm…."


	16. Chapter 16

**12-13 weeks ASC**

The wedding planning was coming along – at least the parts that Katara could help with. The date was set for late spring, about 4 months from now. The dress alterations were underway. The ceremony would take place near the pond Aang and Katara had discovered earlier in the week (Kuei and Fei Yen wanted a natural setting). Guests would gather in the the inn for the wedding meal. The outside of the inn would be decorated by Hina, a distant cousin of Haruko – the dancing would occur there.

A talented singer named Hong and his wife, Chuntao, also distant relatives of Fei Yen's family, were asked to be the singers at the reception. Haruko herself would handle most of the cooking along with her sister-in-law Ling.

As the week wound down to an end, everyone in town, Fei Yen's family, and even Aang and Katara looked forward to the engagement party that was planned.

Even with everything that was going on – socializing with the locals, bending practice, helping Fei Yen with the wedding – Aang and Katara still kept their eye on Kotori, trying to catch her doing something that stuck out as strange. But there was nothing. She barely ever left her home.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"We have to do _something_," said Aang to Katara. He didn't want to leave Qi Cun without finding the secret of the village.

"I know we do," she replied back. "Perhaps another 'night-time' visit is in order?"

"I didn't want it to come to that. At least I knew the scroll existed when I was sneaking around looking for it. If we sneak around Kotori's house, well, we don't even know what we'd be looking for," Aang said.

"I say we at least try," said Katara. "You know you'll never forgive yourself if you leave this place without making every effort to get the information you want."

"Ok, tonight we go," said Aang.

OlOlOlOlOlO

That evening, Aang and Katara both dressed in black, headed to Kotori's house in the middle of the night. No lights were on.

"She's probably sleeping," Katara whispered quietly.

"You think?" Aang whispered back sarcastically.

Katara gave Aang an 'evil eye' for his response.

The two teens entered through the front door. Aang looked around the bedrooms and Katara took the kitchen and dining area. Both met again in a room that looked like a library.

"Katara, I bet the information we need is in here," Aang whispered. They spent the next few minutes gazing at the titles on the spines of the various books that were on the shelves.

A light then came on in the room. Aang and Katara looked up to find Kotori standing in the doorway holding a lantern.

"I knew you'd be here eventually," Kotori remarked to the teens.

"Kotori, we were just…" started Aang.

"You were just snooping!" she said sternly. "No matter. As you can see, there is nothing here of interest to you. Feel free to look at all the volumes in my personal library. There are some works there by the greatest writers in Ba Sing Se," Kotori said mockingly knowing full well this is not what they were here for.

Aang made an attempt to reason with her. "Kotori, I need to know what the secrets of Qi Cun are. What happened 100 years ago? What is the story of Peng and Saura?"

"The secrets and history of Qi Cun are not meant for outside ears and eyes," replied Kotori.

"I think your secrets and I may have something in common," said Aang. "How will I ever know for sure if you won't talk to me?"

"Nevertheless, we keep our secrets for our own safety. I, as the Keeper, have been entrusted with the knowledge – all the knowledge – of this village. Secrecy has kept us alive and thriving for 100 years," Kotori replied.

"But the war is over…," said Aang. "There isn't a threat anymore," he pleaded.

"The war ended 3 months ago. Do you really think I would risk this village on the notion that the world is now a completely safe place?" said Kotori.

"Rrrrrr," Aang grunted in frustration. "What can I say to make you see that Katara and I are not a threat to your village?" he asked somewhat rhetorically.

"Have a good evening," Kotori said. She placed the lantern on the table in the library. "Please blow out the light when you are finished." Out the door she walked leaving Aang and Katara standing there.

OlOlOlOlOlO

When they got back to their rooms, the pair slowly started taking off their black clothing.

"Well, that was…._interesting_," remarked Katara.

"She's a smart one," said Aang. "Now we know she knows what we want."

"I hate to say anything, but with her being so aware of what is going on, I think it is going to be next to impossible to find anything," Katara said, a bit defeated.

"You may be right," Aang said as he sat on the bed and bowed his head.

Katara sat down next to him and gave him a hug. "Don't be frustrated. Tonight is the party and we're planning on leaving the next day. We've already learned so much just in this week's time. We'll be back here before you know it."

"I guess you're right, Katara," he replied. "It will be nice to see our other friends again," said Aang as he recalled the plan to stop several times on the way down to the southern water tribe. "I don't want to postpone the trip south."

"We'll be back in four months for the wedding. And when we return, we can spend as much time as it takes to find out the secrets of Qi Cun. Perhaps Kotori will let her defenses down as time passes and she sees the threats she imagines against the village really aren't there anymore."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Having been up for a good portion of the night, Aang and Katara slept in the next day. When they got up, they went to the pond to practice their bending. The day moved along as any other day until the evening was upon them.

The engagement party that was planned was more of an outside festival. Lights were strung along the main street. Hong and Chuntao were with their band towards the middle of town belting out songs. Every house and shop on the street had a little stand of food and drink out for all to share.

Kuei and Fei Yen entered the street and danced as they walked from table to table and person to person socializing along the way. Every once in a while, someone would greet them with a hearty "Congratulations!" on their upcoming nuptials.

Kuei and Fei Yen were also leaving tomorrow. The four friends would, again, be leaving together and headed for Ba Sing Se. Kuei would be officially taking back control of his city; Aang and Katara would only be stopping for a day or two, mainly to talk to Iroh and get a status update since he was the center hub for all the communications concerning the post-war council.

Quite a few folks at the party also approached Aang wanting to know all the details about the defeat of the Fire Lord. Aang would tell his story, and often turned over the reigns of the conversation to Katara so she could tell how she and Zuko defeated Azula thus ensuring the cycle of hatred and war was broken for good. Many asked what became of Ozai and Azula. Aang could only answer that he wasn't sure. He had not heard from Zuko since their parting in Ba Sing Se. Zuko, at the time, wasn't sure what his plans were and the council was trusting that he could take care of it as the new Fire Lord. Aang would need to get any details from Iroh once they could sit and catch up again.

"Aang!" Kuei called over to his friend from one of the food and drink tables. "Come over here!"

Aang walked over to where Kuei was standing.

"You've got to try this," said Kuei.

Aang picked up the cup and took a sip. It was tangy…and had a strange, but pleasant, aftertaste. "This stuff is pretty good!" he remarked to the villager as he took a second cup and walked away.

"Katara, you've got to try this. It's delicious," Aang said as he handed the cup to Katara. She took a sip.

"It's ok. I prefer to stick to watermelon juice," she replied.

Over the next few hours, Aang downed about 10 of these drinks. Before he knew it, he was downright loopy. Loopy and definitely enjoying himself.

"Katara, I'm having so much fun!" he said to his companion.

"Yes, I can certainly tell that you are," she replied noting his change in personality – and his sudden lack of balance.

Katara went back to the villager who was supplying Aang with the drinks. She asked him what exactly the drink was.

"It's a mix of different juices actually – some mango, some apple, some watermelon – but there is a secret ingredient brought to us from south of Ba Sing Se. It's a refined form of cactus juice."

"Cactus juice?" Katara replied with curiosity and a hint of alarm. She clearly recalled how cactus juice had affected Sokka when they were stranded in the desert.

"Not just 'regular' cactus juice," the villager replied. "You would be hallucinating badly if you drank that. This refined cactus juice retains the taste, but the after-effect is more happiness and pleasure than hallucination."

Aang saw Katara talking to the villager and ran up to her. "Dance with me?" he asked. They had been intermittently dancing throughout the evening.

"Um…I don't think that is a good idea anymore," she replied. She was amused by Aang's current demeanor, thought she didn't want to push her luck doing anything too strenuous.

"Why not? Aw, c'mon!" he pleaded.

"Aang, I'm getting pretty tired. I think we should head back to our rooms at the inn," said Katara.

"I was just getting started," he replied really wanting to stay at the party.

"Aang, we're leaving in the morning. We really should be getting back," said Katara, trying another tactic to get him back to the inn. It wasn't the packing she was worried about.

Aang relented and the couple walked back to the inn.

"I know why you wanted to come back, you naughty girl," Aang said to her once they got back to Katara's room. He flopped down on the bed. That's when the ceiling started spinning.

"Is that right?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm feeling a little…." and with that Aang ran out the door and to the bathroom down the hall.

"I had a feeling that may have been coming," Katara said to herself. "I hope he's ok to travel tomorrow."

Aang re-emerged at the bedroom door. "Oh Katara. I'm not feeling so good," Aang said.

"You shouldn't have had so much of that cactus juice concoction," she said. "I've seen how drinks like that affect people….it was only a matter of time before you got woozy. I hope you've learned your lesson. Time to get some rest."

Katara took Aang's clothes off of him and tucked him into the bed.

"Goodnight Aang," she whispered and kissed him on the forehead. But he was already asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**13-14 weeks ASC**

The next morning, breakfast was served at the inn by Fei Yen's mother. All ate a hearty meal knowing that most of the next week or so would be spent on the road. Well, that is except Aang, who was still feeling the after-effects of last evening.

They packed their things on Appa and took off walking towards Ba Sing Se.

The journey was unremarkable. It took hardly any time at all to reach the outer wall – instead of the expected 4-5 days, the friends actually made it in only 3. There were no entrances on the outer wall closest to the village of Qi Cun. Most of the breaches were on the southwest side, which is where the Fire Nation entered the city with the help of the Dai Li. Instead of taking another day or two to find an entrance to the city, Appa was asked to, once again, help his fellow travelers up and over the wall so the walk to the palace could continue.

As soon as they started walking between the two walls, there was immediately some recognition by Katara and Aang as to where they were.

"Look over there…to the left," said Katara. "Isn't that Lake Laogai?"

"It has to be. I don't remember any other lakes around here quite that big," replied Aang.

Aang then took the time to stroke Appa's side as they walked together. He remembered the weeks of hell that he went through when Appa was lost and how he and his friends once again found him here, beside Lake Laogai. He thought again of Zuko as well, the person who freed Appa. Aang wondered how he was doing these days back in the Fire Nation.

Half a day later, the travelers had found the inner wall and once again, Appa lent his services to his friends to get past this obstacle.

Once inside the city proper, the group noticed that life seemed to be continuing as it always had. Sure, there were a few construction sites here and there, and some scaffolding to assist cleaners and painters remove the scorch marks from the various buildings, but the streets were definitely bustling just as they had always been.

"Wait here a minute," Aang said to his friends as he walked into a nearby shop.

"Where is he going?" asked Kuei.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he is probably sending a message to Iroh," replied Katara.

The shop that Aang walked into was one that dispatched messengers for local destinations. Ba Sing Se was a big enough city that a business such as this was necessary to make life in the city run smoothly.

A man on an ostrich horse emerged from behind the shop and ran past the travelers. Aang emerged from the shop.

"Did you send a message to Iroh?" asked Katara.

"I sure did. I told him we have arrived and asked him to meet us at the palace as soon as he could get free," said Aang.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The friends arrived at the palace mid-afternoon.

As they approached the palace, Fei Yen couldn't hold back her astonishment. "You live _here_?" she asked Kuei.

He smiled. "Yes, up until 6 months ago, this place was my entire world. I didn't think I'd be happy to see it again, but being here does bring me a feeling of comfort."

"I knew you were the Earth King and all, but I never imagined…." continued Fei Yen. "Wow." She was like a country girl in the big city for the first time.

Just then, a middle-aged gentlemen emerged from the palace and approached the group.

"Good afternoon, sir," he said to Kuei.

"Chao!" Kuei shouted and embraced the man. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, sir," Chao replied.

"Everyone, this is Chao. He has been in charge of my household for….well, as long as I've been alive!"

Chao nodded to Kuei's friends.

"Chao, how did you know I was returning?" asked Kuei.

"I didn't know for sure. I left the palace when Azula took control. Everyone else did, too. When the Fire Nation was finally defeated, we looked for a sign that you had returned so we could resume our duties. We saw nothing for a few months. Then Iroh came to my home and told me about the Avatar's message he received a few weeks ago. Nothing was said definitively about your return, but Iroh insisted that it was only a matter of time. So I gathered the staff and we started preparing the palace for your return."

"Well, it is good to see you," Kuei said to his friend.

Just then a lone figure approached.

"You are back even sooner than I expected," said Iroh to Aang and Katara. "And I see you've brought some friends with you."

"Kuei, I don't think you have officially met Iroh yet. He was the leader of the group that liberated Ba Sing Se and helped to end the war," said Aang.

"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. You have my unending gratitude for your part in freeing the capital city of the Earth Kingdom," Kuei said as he bowed to Iroh. "This is my beautiful bride-to-be, Fei Yen of the village Qi Cun."

"She is a beauty," remarked Iroh to Kuei as he grabbed Fei Yen's hand and gave it a light peck.

Fei Yen blushed and giggled. "Such a darling you are."

"Chao, is everything prepared for visitors?" asked Kuei.

"Absolutely, sir," Chao replied. "It's as if you never left."

The group went inside the palace to one of the sitting rooms.

"I will go prepare some tea for the gathering," said Chao as he left the room.

"Now this will be interesting," remarked Iroh. "I have been told my tea is the best in Ba Sing Se. I'm looking forward to tasting what the Earth King is usually served." Iroh then flopped down on one of the large, fluffy chairs.

Chao returned within five minutes with some jasmine tea. Iroh took a sip. "Mmmm, not bad," he remarked.

"So Iroh, can you brief me on what has happened since Aang last left the city? He has already told me about the post-war council and the decisions that were made. The only thing I really don't know is how has the rebuilding being going in the last month or two," said Kuei.

"The rebuilding really hasn't taken all that long. Ba Sing Se is structurally sound. Not much irreversible damage was done during the occupation or liberation. Only about 10 buildings had to be demolished and completely rebuilt. Most buildings had minor to medium damage and either earthbending or good old fashioned sweat and strength has gotten us most of the way towards completion. The only other thing to note was that there was extensive scorching all around – that is just a matter of cleaning and painting and that is almost complete as well. I would say the complete rebuild will be done in about 2 months time."

"That's wonderful Iroh. Do I have the honor of thanking you for Ba Sing Se's rebuilding efforts as well?" asked Kuei.

Iroh blushed a bit. "I did a lot of the coordination, but not a lot of the work. The citizens of Ba Sing Se really rallied together to make this happen."

"So are you ready to hand over the reigns?" Kuei asked.

"Yes. As much as I enjoy helping people and helping the city get back on its feet, nothing compares to giving my tea shop the full attention it needs," Iroh responded with a smile. "I'll be glad to have a breather from the city's needs for a short while."

"Wonderful. Consider yourself relieved then," said Kuei. "Fei Yen, I'd like to take you on a tour of the palace." He turned to Iroh, Aang and Katara. "Do you mind if we leave you for a bit?"

"Not at all," answered Katara. "It will give us some time to catch up on other matters."

Fei Yen and Kuei then left the room.

"So Iroh, the rebuilding of Ba Sing Se sounds rather unremarkable," said Katara.

"It basically has been. Most of the rebuilding around the world has been going very smoothly," he replied. "At least that is what the messages I receive have said."

"Most?" Aang noted.

"I would say the only exception to the rule is the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Those people still consider themselves Fire Nation citizens, yet the land they live on is considered the Earth Kingdom and it should be returned to it now that the war is over. Zuko is trying to defuse the situation," said Iroh.

"So have you heard anything from the water tribes?" asked Katara.

"Not much actually. But I don't think there is much to say. The Northern Tribe seems to be back to normal. Pakku and Hakoda have been working on bringing the Southern Tribe back to its glory before it was repeatedly raided by the Southern Raiders," answered Iroh.

"And the Fire Nation itself?" asked Aang.

"According to Zuko, other than in the capital city, there was no damage and there has been very little unrest. The capital city is really the place where rebuilding needs to take place. The Ultimate Agni Kai really did a number on many of the buildings."

"Wait. Ultimate Agni Kai?" questioned Katara.

"That is what they are now calling the duel between Azula and Zuko," said Iroh.

Katara nodded her head in understanding.

Iroh continued, "It is mainly ex-military types living in the capital city who are having the most problems adjusting to a new life without war. There have been a few minor uprisings, but Zuko has had little trouble quashing them. The Fire Nation has relied on hierarchy to maintain control over the past century. Thanks to that, Zuko has the final say in all matters of state. That has definitely helped him keep order for the most part."

"That's better than I would have expected," said Aang. "Have you heard anything about Azula and Ozai?"

"Not really. Zuko has sent me a few messages and for the time being, they are still in prison. I don't think he will leave them there forever, but for now, the wounds are too fresh to do anything else besides let things cool off."

"I'll have to pick his brain the next time I see him to see what he is thinking about those two," said Aang. "I hope he isn't in denial – thinking it is better to ignore the problem than deal with it."

"You know, it could be," said Iroh. "Zuko has been through pure hell over the last few years and finally he has had some time to relax and enjoy life for a bit. He and Mai are getting along well and he no longer has the emotional strife that plagued him for so long."

"So did you hear from anyone else?" asked Katara.

"Toph and Jeong Jeong have spent the last month traveling around the Earth Kingdom helping the smaller towns with their rebuilding," said Iroh. "And I'm sure you already know that Sokka and Suki were headed to the south pole last I heard."

"They should be there by now," added Katara, hoping they made it safe and sound. "That's our next destination."

"Oh, you are headed home?" asked Iroh.

"Yes. It has been nearly a year since I've been there and Aang has agreed that we could visit for a while. We don't need to be back in Qi Cun for four months," answered Katara.

"Ah, the wedding. So, late spring is the time then?" asked Iroh.

"…and Katara's in the wedding party, too," added Aang.

"It sounds like it will be a wonderful time," remarked Iroh.

"You'll come won't you?" asked Katara.

"Oh, I don't think I'll be invited. I just met the happy couple an hour ago," said Iroh.

"Don't be silly. Kuei is clearly appreciative of all you've done for his kingdom and his capital city. I can't imagine you _won't_ be invited," said Katara.

"Well, I guess we'll see," said Iroh.

"Speaking of Qi Cun…" started Aang. "I wanted to tell you what we found when we spent a week there."

Aang proceeded to tell Iroh the story of their visit to Qi Cun – the gray eyes, the Keeper and how she received the visitors, the scroll, the secrets that are being kept, Kochi's behavior at the cliffs by the pond, and Fei Yen's reaction to Katara's questions at the tailor's shop. By the time he was done summarizing all that had happened that week, Aang had convinced himself more than ever that the secret of the town was that they were descended from airbenders.

"It sounds to me like you need to find a way to get to the secrets that are being kept in Qi Cun," remarked Iroh after hearing everything Aang had to say.

"I agree. Any ideas?" Aang asked. "I don't think Kotori will be talking any time soon."

"When you return to Qi Cun, keep your eyes and ears open to all the things you hear and see, especially around Kotori. She may slip up. It may take time, but I have faith that you will find what you are seeking," replied Iroh. "And as you've mentioned already, you may have friends there to help you….if I am invited, or perhaps your brother," he noted as he nodded to Katara.

The trio continued to talk for the entire rest of the afternoon and into the evening. The banter definitely got lighter in tone with Iroh telling some interesting and funny customer stories from the Jasmine Dragon, and Aang and Katara detailing some of the less important observations and experiences from both the Northern Air Temple and Qi Cun.

Aang and Katara asked Iroh if they could spent the next two nights in a room at the Jasmine Dragon and Iroh agreed. "You know you are always welcome if there is room," he said.

In the early evening, Chao re-entered the sitting room and invited the trio to have dinner with Kuei and Fei Yen who were already waiting for them in the dining room. They were more than happy to accept.

After dinner, the four friends said their good-byes for the time being. Kuei and Fei Yen were going to stay at the palace and in Ba Sing Se until the wedding. Aang and Katara would head south on Appa to visit Katara's family in the Southern Water Tribe.

"Send me messages to let me know how you are," remarked Fei Yen.

"You do the same," replied Katara. "And I will see you about a week before the wedding in Qi Cun."


	18. Chapter 18

**15 weeks ASC**

Katara and Aang spent the next day in Ba Sing Se resting up and enjoying some of the sights of the city. For the first time since Aang created it, Aang and Katara went to visit the Ba Sing Se Zoo, located between the inner and outer walls of the city.

In the evening, they cuddled on a couch that Iroh had bought for his tea shop (he was trying to make it more comfortable than just wood chairs and tables) and drank Iroh's fabulous chai tea.

The next morning, Aang and Katara woke early and headed south on Appa. They decided the best way to go was west of the Si Wong desert. In one very long day, they flew over the Serpent's Pass and made it all the way to Omashu.

They dropped in on King Bumi, who was absolutely ecstatic to see Aang and Katara….and, of course, Momo. The travelers noted that the city now looked just as it did the first day they ever laid eyes on it. All of the Fire Nation machinery and destruction had been removed.

Because they had arrived so late, they decided to spend two nights in Omashu rather than just one so they had time to visit with Bumi. Lots of sitting around and talking ensued as the friends caught up with one another. Most of the talking was done by Aang, who told Bumi about what he and Katara had been through since the last time he dropped by a few months ago.

Aang and Katara decided to take a chance and visit Gaoling again to see if Toph had arrived home after her tour of the smaller Earth Kingdom towns. After leaving Omashu, the group headed southeast over the Foggy Swamp and once again landed in the backyard of the Bei Fong estate, just as they had months before.

To their surprise (because they truly expected her to still be traveling), Toph was home, having just arrived two days ago from helping the towns with their rebuilding effort. Toph's metalbending especially came in handy during the rebuild because she could work on the metal skeletons of buildings while other earth benders put up the earthen walls.

Aang and Katara spent the evening with Toph. A good time was had by all. In their conversations, Toph asked the pair where they were headed and when she found out they were headed to the Southern Water Tribe, she asked to come along. After all, most of her best friends in the whole world would all be there.

The trio started flying again the next morning. They decided to visit Kyoshi Island and see their friends who were there. Although Katara knew Suki was at the south pole with Sokka, she very much looked forward to seeing the other Kyoshi warriors.

Finally, after five days of traveling, they arrived at the Southern Water Tribe.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Appa landed on the edge of the village in the early afternoon. What Katara and Aang saw astounded them. The village itself was almost double the size it was when they left a year ago. The buildings which were now present were much bigger as well. Pakku and his fellow immigrants from the Northern Water Tribe had really had an effect, even in the short few months they had been here.

Katara looked to the left and saw Master Pakku and several other waterbenders practicing their craft right outside the city walls. She noted that there were at least two women with the group as well. This surprised her because of Pakku's previous stance that only the men practiced offensive and defensive waterbending while the women strictly practiced healing. Katara was the first woman Pakku ever agreed to train. Now it seems he may have had a change of heart. Was it Katara's influence on him that made him reconsider? Or perhaps it was the fact that he was now married to a strong-willed Kanna, Katara's grandmother?

Just then, Appa lept 20 feet in the air and let out a playful growl. He landed right on the teenager who was running towards the trio and gave him a huge lick.

"It's good to see you, too, boy," Sokka said.

"Sokka!" Katara shouted and ran to her brother. It had not been that long since the siblings had been together, but she still missed him terribly.

"I see you brought a stowaway with you," he remarked upon seeing Toph.

"Captain Boomerang! As I live and breathe!" she replied slyly.

All quips aside, the group was very happy to see each other. The four friends (and Momo) gave each other a group hug.

"Where's Suki?" asked Katara.

"Oh, she's back at Dad's house," Sokka replied. "I just happened to see you guys while I was walking from Dad's house to Gran-Gran's house and came right over."

"Are you staying with Dad?" asked Katara.

"Yeah. I'd recommend you stay with Gran-Gran and Pakku though – it's a little tight where we are," replied Sokka. "Toph can stay at either place."

"Toph, where do you want to stay?" asked Katara.

"Who is the better cook?" Toph asked.

"Gran-Gran. Definitely Gran-Gran," Sokka replied.

"Then that's where I'm staying," she said as she licked her lips.

Sokka helped his sister and friends unpack their things and take them to Gran-Gran's house. Gran-Gran was so happy to see Katara again. As they hugged, Gran-Gran whispered into Katara's ear, "I told you this boy would be important part of your life."

Gran-Gran started to prepare a large feast for the family and their friends for dinner that night. Katara was really excited when she heard the menu would be arctic hen and stewed sea prunes. She asked Gran-Gran to also make a seaweed dish especially for Aang since he obviously would not be eating the hen - and he pretty much hated sea prunes.

"You all take your things to your bedrooms. Katara, you will be sharing with Toph then?" she asked.

"Uh…I, um," Katara was taken off guard by the question.

Kanna winked at her grandchild, then smiled.

"Yes, Toph and I will be sharing a room," Katara said awkwardly now knowing that Kanna was fully aware of what was really going on. There would be no need for sneaking in this house.

Just then Hakoda entered the house. "Katara!" he shouted as he hurried to give her a hug. "It's good to see you!"

"Dinner's at sundown, Hakoda," Kanna told her son as she walked into another room to go about her business.

"How long are you staying?" Hakoda asked his daughter.

"About three months," she replied. "We've got a wedding to attend in the Earth Kingdom after that."

That afternoon was spent talking with Hakoda and Gran-Gran for the most part. Dinner was served at sundown and apart from the five friends, Hakoda, and Gran-Gran, the only other person in attendance was Pakku.

"Master Pakku, I noticed that there were a few women waterbending in your class earlier today," remarked Katara at dinner.

"Thanks to you and Kanna 'setting me straight', I am now more than willing to train women in the waterbending arts," Pakku replied. "The only issue now is that the only waterbenders here in the Southern Water Tribe are you and those that we brought with us when we moved here. The women you saw were healers from the Northern Water Tribe who are now interested in taking their waterbending to the next level."

"Someday there will be more waterbenders here," replied Katara. "It will just take time."

OlOlOlOlOlO

**4-6 months ASC**

Aang and Katara's time at the south pole flew by as they both enjoyed their time of rest and relaxation. They ate a lot, played a lot, and of course, continued to train. Since they were there with Pakku anyway, both Aang and Katara took the time to gain more even knowledge from the best waterbender on the planet.

The village also decided to ask the waterbenders who now lived there to rid them of the awful memory that was the fire nation ship stuck in ice near the village. This was the very same ship that Hama helped to put there – and where Aang set off the booby-trap when he was first freed from his iceberg prison. The waterbenders gathered around the ship and liquefied the ice that held it in place. The horrid reminder of the war quickly sank to the bottom of the ocean.

Katara and Sokka, who were born nearly one year apart, celebrated their birthdays in early winter. Katara turned 15, while Sokka turned 16. Because their birthdays were so close, they decided to just celebrate together with their family and close friends.

The five friends often sat around a campfire and discussed the next steps in each other's lives. It was during one of those conversations that the subject of Zuko and Mai was brought up – Zuko was the only member of the group who was missing from this informal gathering at the south pole. But then again, Zuko was also the leader of a nation and had many responsibilities to take care of. Katara was determined that it was time for a visit with Zuko. She sent him a message the next day:

_Zuko,_

_I hope all is well with you and Mai in the Fire Nation. Aang and I completed our task and Kuei is now back in Ba Sing Se as the Earth King. He is getting married in late spring to a friend of ours named Fei Yen. The wedding is in a town called Qi Cun, which is northeast of Ba Sing Se. I'm sure, as the leader of the Fire Nation, that you will be invited. _

_Everyone would like to see you if your busy schedule permits. How about we leave the Southern Water Tribe a few weeks early and stop by the Fire Nation capital on our way to Qi Cun? Please let me know if you think that would be alright. We definitely need to catch-up. It has been way too long._

_Katara_

Also during those two months, Hakoda continued to show Sokka some of the finer points of being a man from the Southern Water Tribe. They often spent long days fishing and hunting.

Sokka would often think of Master Piandao, his lost space sword, and continuing his training in the way of the sword_. Someday I'll return to finish,_ he thought to himself.

Suki, who turned 16 in a month's time, was struggling a bit. She was torn between two loves – Sokka and the Kyoshi warriors. As much as she loved Sokka, she missed her friends and the regimen of training that it provided. She had already put in nearly 8 years of training – was she now going to toss that away just to be someone's girlfriend?

Toph – well, let's just say Toph was Toph. She provided quips and sarcasm often and in great quantities and kept the others in great spirits during the visit. Although she was enjoying herself, Toph was not entirely fond of the south pole. There was simply not much earth on the surface. She found herself mostly blind due to the fact that she now needed to wear boots and the fact that 99% of the place was covered in snow and ice. It was a good thing that the village was not a huge city like Ba Sing Se. It didn't take long to learn the lay-out of the village so she could easily get from place to place.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**7 months ASC**

Katara was really disappointed that she had not gotten a reply to her message she sent to Zuko. She wondered if the message ever got to him, or if perhaps, he had so many messages and other pieces of paper around him that somehow he missed it.

It was very nearly the time that the friends would need to leave the Southern Water Tribe if they were going to stop by the Fire Nation on their way to Qi Cun. They had to decide if they still wanted to attempt a visit without Zuko's blessing first, or if they just wanted to stay at the south pole for an extra few weeks and go right to Qi Cun.

"What do you think Aang?" asked Katara. "Should we head to the capital city, or skip the Fire Nation altogether?"

"I think I'm caught between what I want to do and what we should do," he replied. "I really would like to see Zuko, but the fact that he didn't reply probably means he is extremely busy with his responsibilities and we'd just be a distraction."

"He could have at least answered us then," noted Katara.

Just then, they heard a small explosion right outside their house. Aang and Katara ran outside to see what it was. There was a gathering of people out there looking at something.

"What was that?" yelled Katara as she pushed some of the people out of the way to get to the source of the loud sound.

"Are we being attacked?" yelled Aang, who was running next to her to get to the same place.

When they finally arrived at the center of the people, they found a bunch of firecrackers going off. Everyone was looking at the two confused teens and smiling.

"What is this?" asked Aang.

"I just wanted to say 'hello' in a Fire Nation kind of way," said a voice beyond the circle of people. Everyone parted revealing Zuko and Mai standing there.

"Oh don't worry about them," Zuko said, "they were just in on the joke."

Aang and Katara were stunned and didn't move a muscle for about 10 seconds. Finally Katara snapped out of her amazement and speechlessness and ran towards Zuko and gave him a huge hug.

"Zuko!" she yelled. "You are _crazy_!"

Aang walked over to Mai and gave her a friendly hug hello.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming," asked Katara.

"I wanted to surprise you guys. I guess I succeeded – and in more ways than one," Zuko said, smiling.

"As sad as this sounds, we needed a break," said Mai. "It's been months and months of official state business, getting things back in order, dealing with the colonies, and putting down uprisings. When Zuko got your message, we decided to visit _you_ for a few weeks before the wedding. Then we figured we'd all travel together to Qi Cun."

"So you received an invitation then?" asked Katara.

"We sure did," replied Zuko.

"So who is watching the Fire Nation while you guys are away?" asked Aang.

"Thankfully, Piandao has agreed to step in for the next month," Zuko replied. "He hasn't been hugely involved in Fire Nation politics since the war ended, but he has been there helping to give me ideas and make decisions as my top advisor. The leaders of my government who report to me know him well and will listen to him."

"I'm just looking forward to spending some time _together_," Mai added. "Zuko is always so busy these days."

"Well, it's great to have you guys here," Katara said. "The gang is back together again."

OlOlOlOlOlO

That evening, all the friends gathered together around a campfire as they often did. It was now the middle of spring, so it wasn't quite as cold as it had been when Aang and Katara had first arrived. The teens wrapped themselves in furs and huddled close to the fire.

Many of the questions of the evening were aimed at Zuko and Mai and how things were going in the Fire Nation.

"Have you decided what to do about your father and sister?" asked Sokka.

"Not completely," Zuko replied. "They are still in prison in the capital city. I am not as concerned about my father as I am Azula – at least he can no longer firebend. I have only seen my father once and I have purposely stayed away from Azula."

"Why are you staying away from them?" asked Katara.

"I am still angry at my father. The reason I went to see him that one time was to ask him about my mother," replied Zuko.

"Oh my gosh, Zuko. Did he tell you anything?" asked Katara knowing full well the back-story to Ursa's disappearance thanks to some personal conversations with Zuko on the way to fight Azula.

"No. That's the problem. I don't know how to get him to tell me anything. Now that I am Firelord, he would rather die than tell me anything I want to know," said Zuko.

"What about Azula?" Suki asked. "Why haven't you seen her?"

"She's just nuts," Zuko replied bluntly. "Ever since Katara defeated her, on the day of the agni kai, we've kept her in a cooled room under constant surveillance by doctors. She is going to take a lot of work if she is ever going to be rehabilitated."

"Do you actually think she can be?" Aang asked. "I mean, c'mon now. It's _Azula_."

"I want to try. I don't think it's her fault she is the way she is. I think she is a product of being raised primarily by my father," said Zuko.

"I give you a lot of credit," Katara said. "I don't know if I could be as forgiving as you."

"I've had a lot of time to think. And Mai has given me some things to think about, too. After all, she spent a lot of time with her in the six months before the war ended," said Zuko. "Don't you worry though. I know how dangerous she is and I won't do anything stupid like letting her go scot-free."

"I have an idea as far as Ozai goes," said Sokka. "If you are interested, that is."

"What?" asked Zuko.

"You need a snitch," Sokka replied. "You're right. He'll never tell you the answers you want. But perhaps he'll tell someone else who hates you as much as he does. I could pose as a prisoner and see if I could get the information for you. It's not like we don't have any experience inside Fire Nation prisons or anything. "

"I'd be glad to come to the Fire Nation to help, too," said Aang. "But I may need to stay in Qi Cun for a bit once we arrive for the wedding."

"Why?" asked Zuko.

"They are hiding secrets that I need to find out more about," replied Aang.

"What secrets?" Zuko asked.

Aang told Zuko and Mai the story of their previous trip to the Earth Kingdom town and the things they learned.

"So you think they may be airbenders?" asked Zuko after hearing Aang's story.

"They could be. I'm sure they all aren't, but I've seen at least one person there who I think may be an airbender," Aang replied. "The secrets are being kept _somewhere_ – and they are well-guarded. I need to know what happened in that town over the last 100 years."

"So here's what I think we should do," said Zuko. "We'll all travel to Qi Cun together for the wedding. We will stick together to help Aang find out the secrets he is after. When we're done with Qi Cun, we'll all travel to the Fire Nation and plan a way to get my father to tell me what happened to my mother. It'll be just like old times!"

"Together again!" said Katara and they all got up and gave each other a gigantic group hug.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Katara and Pakku joined forces to create another dwelling that would house Zuko and Mai while they stayed at the south pole (they were royalty after all). Gran-Gran and Hakoda were out of space in their abodes to house anyone else. The additional house would be convenient for future visitors as well.

Over the next few weeks, the friends spent much of their time enjoying each other's company. They looked forward to their next adventure, but knew it was just a matter of time before they would be separated again.

Katara had noted that as much as she enjoyed spending time with Zuko and Mai, they were apparently enjoying each other's company a lot as well. Often they would be the last to join the others for breakfast, or would retire to their house early leaving everyone else behind. On one of the last days at the south pole, she caught up with Zuko as he was walking through the village.

"Zuko, are you packed yet?" asked Katara.

"Mai is doing that right now as a matter of fact," he replied.

"We really haven't had a chance to talk since you've been here – you and I, I mean," said Katara.

"What's on your mind?" asked Zuko.

"Oh, nothing in particular," replied Katara. "I was just wondering how you were. Not the Zuko who goes out in public, but the one who I've grown to love as a friend."

Zuko smiled to himself. "It's been so long since someone other than Mai has taken an interest in me personally," he said. "I've missed that." He hugged her. "I'm fine Katara. I feel much better now that I've gotten away for a few weeks. It's not easy being Firelord, and I certainly didn't have a good role model to teach me how to be Firelord when I was still a prince."

"You don't have to say that twice," she added.

"I'm very lucky that I have good people surrounding me. Mai has been amazing. Piandao has taught me so much about great leadership and what is truly important in life. I even keep in regular contact with Uncle in Ba Sing Se via messenger hawks," said Zuko. "And, of course, I have you guys."

"So…..," Katara started, "speaking of Mai….."

"Nosy, aren't we?" said Zuko with a smile. "So…..about you and Aang…."

"No fair!" she shouted and gave him a Toph-like punch on the shoulder.

"Tit for tat," Zuko said.

"Arrgh!" she said in frustration. "Aang and I are doing well, thank you very much."

"I'm glad to hear it," he replied with sincerity. "Mai and I really needed this vacation. Back in the Fire Nation, she is the girlfriend of the Fire Lord as well as a close advisor. But I am busy from sun up to sun down. We hardly ever get a chance to spend time alone."

"Oh," replied Katara suddenly feeling a bit guilty that she was still in play mode while Zuko had suddenly become so serious. "Well, you know you are always welcome to come visit me….er….wherever I end up being. If you need a break, that is."

"Thank you, Katara. I appreciate your hospitality and your friendship," Zuko said. "Everything is going to be ok. I'm just a tad bit overwhelmed. I'm sure it will all calm down eventually as the war becomes a distant memory and all the new systems and people are put in place."

They hugged.

"Sifu Hotman!" came a shout from a few houses away.

Zuko simply shook his head. He knew it would do no good to tell Aang _again_ not to call him that – in fact, it would probably encourage him.

Aang finally reached the pair. "Katara, did you forget that we're leaving tomorrow? We need to pack for the journey!"

"No, I didn't forget. I just wanted to talk with Zuko for a few minutes," she replied.

She gave Zuko a kiss on the cheek. Aang grabbed her hand and pulled her away playfully. She flew into a nearby snowbank.

"Huh!" she exclaimed. Seeing the smirk on the airbender's face, she then waterbended some snow from a snowpile over Aang's head and let it fall on him, completely burying him up to his neck in snow. And that's how it was…all the way back to Gran-Gran's house so they could begin packing. _I'm going to miss being here_, she thought.


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning, after loading Appa and the transport balloon – they were no longer called war balloons – the gang readied themselves to say good-bye to their friends and family. The last thing they did was meet at Gran-Gran's house for a large breakfast. As was the norm, Mai and Zuko were the last to arrive.

"Hey guys," Zuko said warmly as he and Mai walked through the door.

"Hi Zuko. Hi Mai," everyone greeted back such that it came out garbled and mumbled because they all talked over each other and at different times.

"We have an announcement to make," started Zuko, who had his arm around Mai's shoulder. "This morning I asked Mai to marry me – and she said yes!"

The room erupted in congratulations and back-patting. Hugs were given to the pair by just about everyone in the room.

After breakfast, the group loaded up on Appa and the transport balloon and headed to Qi Cun for the wedding. Sokka had plotted the course and expected that the trip would take about 1 week by air. They decided to stop in familiar places along the way including the Southern Air Temple, Kyoshi Island, Omashu, and Ba Sing Se. The transport balloon was much, much faster than taking ships and land transportation, but it was about half as fast as Appa would have been alone. Despite that, Aang and Katara were glad that their friends were along for the trip.

**8 months ASC**

The group landed outside of Qi Cun in the late morning of a beautiful spring day. None of the group had been here except for Aang and Katara. It was up to them to show everyone the lay of the land including where the entrance to the town was. The group of eight (Iroh had joined the group when they stopped for the night in Ba Sing Se) entered the town and went right towards the inn that was run by Fei Yen's parents.

As they walked into town, there was a look of recognition when the villagers saw Aang and Katara – which was followed by a look of resignation and worry at the entourage that was with them. They knew what the visitors were here for, but they obviously feared the outside world and what it could possibly bring to their safe little town.

Katara was the first of the group to enter the inn. Haruko, who was busy wiping up a table, spotted her and approached. "Katara, it's wonderful to see you again."

"Hi Haruko. How have you been?" Katara replied in kind.

"Busy!" said Haruko. "Lots of preparations, you know."

"Haruko, I want to introduce you to our friends," said Katara as she pointed from left to right. "You know Aang, and this is my brother Sokka and his girlfriend Suki. Firelord Zuko and his fiancée Mai. Iroh, the Firelord's uncle. And finally, Toph Bei Fong of the Earth Kingdom."

"It's very nice to meet you all. We've been expecting you to arrive about now," Haruko said.

"It's about a week ahead of time, right?" said Katara.

"Yes, the wedding will take place one week from today, "Haruko replied. "Fei Yen and Kuei arrived yesterday afternoon and have already settled in at the main house."

"We need to figure out where we're all going to stay," remarked Aang.

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Haruko. "We've made all the arrangements already since you took the time to send us a message on who was coming. Katara, we figured that you and Suki wouldn't mind sharing one of the rooms above the kitchen. Aang and Sokka can share the other room."

Both couples looked at each other knowing fully that they may all be staying at the inn, but the roommate choices would surely be changing.

"As for the rest of you, we have made arrangements with our neighbors to stay with their kids and give you their house until the wedding festivities are concluded," said Haruko.

"Haruko, please extend our gratitude to your neighbors for their willingness to provide hospitality to strangers," said Zuko.

"I will definitely pass that along. When they found out it was the new Firelord who would need a place to stay, they were more than happy to help out," said Haruko. "They were very thankful to you for helping end the war."

"Are you ready, Mom?" came a voice from behind the group standing in the doorway. The group turned to see who was speaking.

"Fei Yen!" Katara shouted and ran to give her a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here Katara. Mom and I are heading off to the tailor shop for the final dress fitting," said Fei Yen. "Will you come, too?"

"C'mon ladies," Katara said to Suki, Mai, and Toph. "Let's go to a dress fitting."

"No thanks," quipped Toph. I'm staying here with the guys. That's not my style.

"Suit yourself," Katara said.

The ladies walked out the door of the inn. "I'll meet you over there," said Haruko. "I need to get Deshi to keep an eye on the inn while I'm out." She turned to go to the main house while the others went directly to the tailor shop.

Fei Yen walked to the room in the back of the shop while Katara, Mai and Suki sat in the front of the shop. She walked out and stood on the pedestal in her wedding dress.

"Wow, Fei Yen," said Katara. "It's gorgeous!"

"Kuei is going to love you in this," remarked Suki.

Haruko then walked in the shop. She began to tear at the sight of her only daughter in her wedding dress. Fei Yen stepped down from the pedestal and gave her mother a hug.

The tailor came from the back and asked, "So Fei Yen, any last minute changes needed?"

"No, I think it is just perfect," replied Fei Yen. She again went to the back room to change back into her everyday clothes.

OlOlOlOlOlO

While the girls were watching Fei Yen try on her wedding dress, Aang took the opportunity to give the guys (and Toph) a tour of the area. He took them around the village itself, being sure to point out where Kotori's house was. They also left the village and headed towards the pond where Aang and Katara had practiced their waterbending when they were here before. Aang explained to them what he saw that day when Kochi was jumping seamlessly around the cliffs. After this, the group returned to the village.

As they were nearing the village entrance, Sokka asked, "So what's on the other side?"

"What do you mean?" asked Aang.

"Well, we turned towards the left last time. What happens if we turn right?" asked Sokka.

"I, uh...don't really know. I haven't flown around the island in that direction to be honest," replied Aang.

"Let's go then," said Sokka.

"You guys go ahead," said Toph. "I can already tell you what is in that direction not far from here. It's not one of my favorite types of places."

"Toph, what is it?" asked Aang.

"Go ahead – you'll see for yourself," she answered and walked back into the village through the rock opening.

The rest of the group walked towards straight past the village entrance and within a few minutes, they were greeted by an opening in the trees. In the opening was a stone building surrounded by white stepping stones on all sides. The stones were pretty equally spaced and some were obviously older than others.

As they walked into the area, Zuko spoke, "Guys, this is a cemetery."

"Aaahhh!" Sokka yelled.

"Sokka what is your problem?" Zuko asked.

"Cemeteries are scary!" he said in a wavering voice.

"Oh, get a backbone," Zuko retorted.

"Cemeteries are places of reflection and remembrance," said Iroh. "They remind us of our ancestry and values we hold dear."

Aang approached the stone building in the center. "Look!" he said as he pointed. "This is where Peng and Saura were laid to rest."

"Looks like they died about 35 years ago," Zuko noted looking at the markings on the building.

"Peng died 35 years ago and Saura died 40 years ago to be exact," said Iroh.

"What is that up there?" Sokka asked pointing towards the roof.

"Looks like….carvings of birds," replied Iroh.

"Look over here," said Zuko as he pointed towards one of the stepping stones closest to the building. "It says that this is Peng and Saura's son, Shen. He died in the war about 65 years ago."

"And over here is another son named Qing," said Aang.

"Here's Tori. She's their daughter. She just died a few years ago," said Iroh.

"I found another one," remarked Aang who was now on the other side of the building. "It says his name was Bolin. So now we know where some of the original descendents of Peng and Saura ended up."

"The only problem now is, we don't know which of the villagers are descendents of which of these people," said Iroh.

_Sigh_. "That's true," said Aang.

"But you've just learned a bit more information than you had before," said Iroh. "Keep at it Aang. You'll get there."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Later that evening, the inn was closed so that Fei Yen, Kuei, the gang, and Fei Yen's family could all have dinner together.

"Fei Yen, are all the plans in place for the big wedding day?" asked Iroh.

"Just about," she replied. "We can probably start decorating in about two days. The entertainment has already invited me to hear them practice and they are going to be just great. I'm looking forward to seeing Aang and Katara dance for us again."

Katara and Aang both blushed.

"What is Kuei wearing?" asked Mai.

"I brought my dress clothes from Ba Sing Se," replied Kuei. "I had them made during our stay there. They should match Fei Yen's dress perfectly!"

"The food is all ready to go, too," said Haruko. "All we have to do is cook it."

"So what do you need me to do?" asked Katara.

"Well, apart from decorating and helping me get ready on the day of the wedding, I'd say that you are off the hook and can probably spend a few days relaxing," replied Fei Yen.

Aang looked out one of the windows. Outside, he saw Katori looking in at the gathering.

"Katori is outside looking at us," he whispered to Katara.

Deshi heard the comment. "She's been a bit more restless in the days leading up to your arrival."

"I bet she'll be glad when we're gone again," remarked Katara.

"I would have to agree," agreed Haruko.

"Did you guys hear the news yet?" asked Fei Yen.

"No," replied Katara a little surprised at the interjection.

"Kotori chose a successor soon after we left," said Fei Yen.

"I remember you said she might declare a successor soon," said Katara. "Who is it?"

"You haven't met her yet. Her name is Meifeng. She's a relative of mine. My Grandmother and her Grandfather are brother and sister," replied Fei Yen.

"So what does Meifeng have to do?" asked Aang.

"I honestly don't know. I've heard that they started spending a lot of time together. Meifeng is with Kotori if she isn't at home or at school," replied Fei Yen.

"I see her following her around whenever Kotori leaves her house," said Fei Yen's brother Kochi who had jumped in on the conversation that was going on. "She looks quite overwhelmed, actually."

The conversation moved on, but Katara leaned over to Aang and whispered, "If Meifeng is learning the secrets, maybe we could get something from her instead of Kotori."

"Good idea," he whispered back. "Perhaps we should have some people watching Kotori and others watching Meifeng. They can't be together _all_ the time."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang's friends split the responsibility of watching Kotori and watching Meifeng. Aang was surprised to find out that Meifeng was only 12 years old – just a little bit younger than he was. _I wonder how she got picked_, he asked himself.

What Fei Yen and Kochi told Aang and Katara was essentially correct. Usually Meifeng and Kotori were together - and Meifeng did look rather drained. However, most of their time was spent at Kotori's house. Just as it had been during their previous visit, it was not a usual occurrence for Kotori to leave her home.

Three days after they arrived, the decorating of the inn and the area outside of the inn began. All of Fei Yen and Kuei's friends helped out to make it a beautiful locale for the wedding party.

Kotori and Meifeng walked right by the decorating team. One couldn't help but hear the one-way conversation that was happening between the two. "C'mon Meifeng, you know the answer to that one. Didn't you study? Aren't you trying? Are you being lazy? Perhaps you don't appreciate what I have given you…."

Aang immediately felt sorry for the girl. No wonder people had noted that she was downtrodden – who wouldn't be with all that nagging and berating?

"Poor Meifeng," remarked Aang out loud.

"Yeah. It's been like that ever since she was announced as successor," said Kochi.


	20. Chapter 20

The next day, Aang decided to take Sokka and Zuko to the pond outside of the village walls. He wanted to practice some of his waterbending techniques and thought he'd take friends with him to keep him company. Katara wanted to keep an eye on Kotori, so she didn't think that it would be a good idea to have both her and Aang together so far outside the village. She, instead, spent the afternoon having lunch and talking with Fei Yen and Haruko.

A few hours later, the teens decided to head back towards the village and meet back up with their other friends. As the entrance to the village came into view, lo and behold, who emerged from the village but Meifeng. She looked around to make sure no one was there (the three friends had ducked behind some trees and bushes when they first caught sight of her). She turned towards the right and started walking in the opposite direction.

"I wonder where she's going?" asked Aang.

Sokka shrugged his shoulders.

Zuko took the lead and started following Meifeng from a good distance behind her so as not to alert her to their presence.

"Looks like she is heading towards the cemetery," remarked Sokka after a few moments.

"What on earth is she…?" started Aang.

Meifeng reached the cemetery and looked around once again. The three friends were safely hidden away so she could not see them. She walked around the central building – the burial place of Peng and Saura. She looked up at the birds that were carved into the stone towards the roof. She circled the building a few times. She then looked at, and stepped on, some of the stepping stone markers.

After about 10 minutes of watching Meifeng do pretty much nothing, Sokka whispered, "Maybe she is just paying her respects?" He shrugged his shoulders again.

"She's not doing anything. There's nothing here," whispered Zuko impatiently. "Let's just go."

"No…wait," replied Aang not wanting to leave quite yet. He held up his hand mistakenly thinking that would cause his friends to halt in their tracks.

"You wait if you want to, I'm hungry. I'm going back to the village," said Sokka. "You coming Zuko?"

Zuko looked at Aang with a look that said 'I'm sorry' and he turned to follow Sokka.

But Aang refused to leave. He had to know what Meifeng was doing.

Still nothing happened for the next few minutes. Meifeng looked unsure of herself. She continued to circle the stone building, every once in a while looking down at the stepping stones.

Finally, Aang saw her jump up to the carved birds and touch the top portion of the building. Of course, normal people cannot leap that high, so Aang instantly knew he was onto something. Now Meifeng was on his list of people who could airbend.

When she landed back on the ground, she leapt again, this time to the top of the building. She aimed her hands downward and let out a blast of air onto the roof. Suddenly, there appeared an opening door - actually, it looked more like a hatch. Aang hadn't seen it before when he was looking around. He certainly couldn't tell it was there when it was closed.

Meifeng disappeared down the hatch.

_I guess now is as good a time as any_, he thought to himself. He left his hiding spot and flew to the top of the building as fast as his bending could take him. He looked into the hatch and saw Meifeng in there along with papers, books, and various bits of memorabilia. She had one of the books in her hand.

"What are you….?" she exclaimed. "Please leave!"

"Meifeng, you don't know me but…." Aang started.

"No, you don't understand. You _need_ to go!" she urged.

"Meifeng, calm down. I'm not going anywhere," Aang said.

"I am going to get in so much trouble if you are found here," she replied, tears welling in her eyes.

"Meifeng!" a voice called to the girl. "Meifeng, are you out here?"

"Oh no!" Meifeng said to herself. She looked at Aang, "You need to get in here, and please, be quiet."

"Meifeng!" came the voice again. It was Kotori just now entering the cemetery.

"Meifeng, what _are_ you doing?" asked Kotori.

Meifeng stuck her head out from the hatch. "I was just….ok, you caught me. I need to study more, Kotori. I am not keeping up with your lessons and I came out here to study the history," Meifeng replied.

"You know I have forbidden you from coming here without me," Kotori said. "Someone could have followed you."

"I know," Meifeng replied. "I'm sorry for disobeying you, Kotori. I really just want to live up to your expectations of me."

Kotori paused and thought for a moment.

"Very well. Please do not do it again," said Kotori. "You are here now and I can see your intentions were good. No one is around. You may stay and study, but the hatch must be closed so no one knows you are here. Do not come out again until I come fetch you in a few hours time."

"Yes, Kotori, I will follow your instructions," said Meifeng. She then ducked back inside the small area in the top of the stone building.

Kotori walked around the building. She jumped into the air and sent an air blast towards the hatch which blew it closed.

_She's an airbender, too. Now we're getting somewhere._

Aang and Meifeng stared at each other for the next few minutes. They dared not say a word until they knew Kotori had walked away.

"Thank you for not getting me in trouble," Meifeng quietly said to Aang.

"No problem," he said and smiled at her.

Although he thought knew what he was looking at, he played dumb and started questioning Meifeng. "What is all this stuff?"

Meifeng hesitated. She didn't know what she should do. One of the first rules of being the Keeper is that nothing should be shared, especially with outsiders. But here he was _inside_ this secret place with her. Two tears dripped from her eyes. She felt trapped.

"Look Meifeng, I know I shouldn't know about this place. But I'm glad I do. For the year, I thought I was the last airbender in the world. Now I know I'm not alone. I _saw_ you airbend. I've seen others airbend. If we can save some parts of the air nomad nation, it's our duty to do so. I just need to know _how_ there are still airbenders alive after all these years and no one knew about it."

Meifeng still didn't say a word and just stared at Aang.

"I won't tell Kotori that I was here. In fact, I won't tell anyone anything. I won't mention a thing to anyone without letting you know first, ok?" said Aang.

"Uh….ok," she finally responded, still feeling a little nervous. She knew he was the Avatar and had seen him around the village. Her gut told her that he was trustworthy, but Kotori's teachings and influence still had a hold on her. She knew she really didn't have a choice. He now knew where this place was now and even if she didn't agree to tell him anything, he could come back at any time and get any of this information himself. In fact, he could even steal the information, or destroy its hiding place if he wanted to – not that she really thought he would.

Aang looked to his right and his eyes stopped on a rather large scroll.

"That's the genealogy of our town since the time of Peng and Saura," remarked Meifeng.

Aang opened it up and was amazed at what he saw. Peng and Saura were at the top of the scroll. After them were their four children - Qing, Shen, Bolin and Tori - who he earlier found was also buried in this same cemetery. Each of these names were written in blue ink.

Aang could now clearly see the linkages between the people he knew from the village today and the children of Peng and Saura. Meifeng was the great-granddaughter of Qing. Her name was also written in blue ink. Her father, Youfeng, was also written in blue ink, but her two sisters, Xia and Hye, were not. They were written in black ink.

"What does the blue ink mean?" asked Aang.

"Blue ink indicates the ability to airbend," said Meifeng.

Suddenly it was so clear to Aang. As it sunk in, his face slowly let out a huge grin. This is exactly the information he had been looking for.

He looked for Fei Yen's family on the scroll. Fei Yen and Kochi were also great-grandchildren of Qing. Kochi was written in blue ink; Fei Yen was not. _Kochi is an airbender, just as I thought._

Aang started to count. Peng and Saura had four children. Their children had a total of seven children, including Kotori whose name was also written in blue ink. The next generation was 12.. And the final generation on the scroll currently stood at 19. Then he noted something that concerned him. As more and more generations came to be, there were less and less airbenders. Of the 19 kids currently running around Qi Cun, only four were airbenders.

_Hmmmm…._he thought to himself. Airbenders have always lived with and had children with other airbenders. In this village, they only had children with people from the Earth Kingdom. So both parents are no longer airbenders – at least not until there were enough of a genetic distance between family members. That must be why the lineage is getting watered down.

_So who are the airbenders? _he thought to himself. Aang looked at the scroll again and noted the names of the airbenders who were alive. Meifeng and Kochi….and looks like a 13-year old boy named Tengfei and a 7-year old boy named Kanpu were in the youngest generation. There were a few other airbenders who were older – Mengfei's Dad and Haruko's brother were just two that were named.

"So Mengfei, how much airbending knowledge do you have?" Aang asked having exhausted his knowledge of the scroll.

"Only the basics and what I've figured out on my own," Mengfei replied. "Kotori recently taught me how to open this vault with my airbending, but other than that, I haven't received much formal training yet."

_That's too bad_, thought Aang. I need to make sure the knowledge isn't lost. "I assume this is true of all the people with airbending abilities in Qi Cun?" he asked.

"Yes. No one is trained. The only person with any formal training at all is Kotori. And I still don't think it is that much," said Meifeng.

Aang looked around and saw many journals. He picked one up and looked at it. _This is from 70 years ago_, he noted to himself. "Meifeng, are there any journals here that were written by Peng and Saura?" Aang asked.

"I know the history if you'd rather I tell you," she said. "That was one of the first things Kotori insisted I memorize."

"Sure, you tell me the story then," said Aang.

"It was a little over 100 years ago. The Avatar…uh, you….had disappeared just recently. The Fire Nation had attacked the Eastern Air Temple and killed all the nuns that lived there using the power from Sozin's comet. Later we would find out that they attacked all the air temples on the same day – thus no one in any air temple had any time to flee."

"Peng was on official Northern Air Temple business at the Eastern Air Temple and while there, visited Saura, his bonded mate. He was 25 and she was 22 when the war started. They escaped the attack because they happened to be away from the air temple that day. They had decided to cross over into the Earth Kingdom and spend some time alone together. As they approached the air temple that evening, they saw smoke coming from the mountain and Fire Nation troops moving away from the area. They stayed hidden for the night and went back to the air temple the next morning. They did not find any survivors from the attack."

"They spent the next week at the Eastern Air Temple grieving for their lost sisters. They found a stash of Earth Kingdom clothing and carefully devised ways to cover their arrow tattoos. Sometimes it was with a colored cream and sometimes with a headband or a hat. They entered the Earth Kingdom near Chameleon Bay and never returned to the Eastern Air Temple again."

"After nearly a year wandering the Earth Kingdom, Peng and Saura found the village of Wushi. By this time, they were well-aware of what had happened to all the Air Nomad temples. All they wanted to do was find safety and leave the war behind them. Wushi seemed like a lovely village, though there was a great deal of worry among the villagers about the war. Their cover was blown when they happened to be walking by a small boy playing on the top of a cliff near the village. He fell. He surely would have been killed if not for Peng airbending him softly to the ground. Other villagers were around and had seen all this happen. To Peng and Saura's delight, they found that the village embraced them and wanted them to stay with them for good. They agreed."

"It was a few months later when the war finally reached their doorstep. The Fire Nation did not enter their village, but they did hear several explosions off in the distance and saw some soldiers around a few of the neighboring towns. It was then that Peng and Saura devised a plan to move the village to a safer location. They scouted locations and ended up finding where Qi Cun is today – protected from most eyes by natural rock walls. They suggested the move to the villagers at a town meeting. All agreed a move would give everyone more peace of mind. Since the town would be in a new location, they decided to give it a new name. Because it was their idea, they let Peng and Saura choose. They chose Qi Cun. The new village was built and the old one abandoned. The villagers have been safe ever since."

"So what happened after that?" asked Aang.

"You've already seen the genealogy scroll," said Meifeng a bit confused. "They settled down in Qi Cun and had four children – three boys and one girl."

"…and they were all airbenders," continued Aang.

"Yes, they were all airbenders. But you have to realize a few things. Everything had changed for Peng and Saura. Even though they found friends and a new home, their lives as airbenders would never be the same. First of all, they made the conscious decision that no formal airbending training would occur. They knew that as their family mixed with the villagers, the airbending trait would become less and less common – not to mention a village with airbenders would surely attract the attention of the Fire Nation if they happened to ever find it. Starting with their children, spouses and families would no longer be purely from the Air Nomad nation – the fact that marriages would now occur was also a huge difference for them because, as you know, Air Nomads do not marry. But to assimilate to the Earth Kingdom culture, it was a necessary change. Arrow tattoos would be dead giveaways to their true identities and would no longer be applied, though it wasn't a problem if the training was eliminated – no one would ever become a Master Airbender again. This is what they decided their culture should morph into as a result of their ordeal. This is their way of coping and moving on with their lives."

"So how did the Keeper come to be? Asked Aang.

""As they got older, Peng and Saura decided that they wanted to preserve some of their history. With one person from every 1-2 generations knowing the entire story, the history would never die completely. They passed it down to their granddaughter Kotori. Kotori is now 62 and she has chosen me as the next Keeper."

_What's the point of hiding a history that no one will ever know,_ Aang asked himself. _I bet they hoped it would be useful some day. That day has arrived, only Kotori doesn't realize it._

"I'm not sure you'll need a Keeper anymore with the war being over," remarked Aang.

"What do you mean?" asked Meifeng.

"Why do you need to hide anymore?" he asked. "You all live here in your guarded little town. It's safe, I'll give you that - but there are so many experiences out there to have and people to meet. You can't explore the world from your little village. And keeping your abilities a secret? Well, there are definitely perks to being able to airbend."

"Like what?" Meifeng asked.

"Self-defense for one. There are a ton of games involving airbending. Have you ever flown on a glider?" Aang asked in return.

"No," Meifeng replied looking at him curiously not fully being able to picture a human flying.

"I'll have to demonstrate for you sometime when Kotori doesn't have you locked up in her house with her," Aang said.

Meifeng shrunk a little bit remembering that her ability to airbend was still supposed to be a secret from the Aang the "outsider". She remembered the precarious situation that she was in with Aang now knowing all this information.

"Aang, please don't tell Kotori anything," Meifeng asked yet again.

"I won't. And even if she does find out, I'll make sure you aren't there to be blamed," Aang said. "You've given me everything I need to know, Meifeng, and I thank you. I have a lot of things to think about. Are you ready to head back to the village?"

"I, uh, can't," she replied. "Kotori will come back and fetch me soon."

"Ah, that's right. She did say for you not to go anywhere until she came back for you. I guess she's trying to protect her secrets," Aang replied. "See you later, Meifeng. Happy studying." And with that, Aang opened the hatch and leapt out of the building and was quickly on his way back to the village.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"Aang, where have you _been_?" Katara asked as he entered their room over the kitchen of the inn. "It's almost time for dinner!"

"You won't believe where I've been and who I've been with!" he replied.

He told Katara the entire story of the afternoon. She was shocked. "I guess there is no reason to tail Meifeng or Kotori anymore then, eh?"

"I guess not," he replied. "I'll tell the others as I see them."

"So what's next?" she asked him.

"I don't know. First, I have to find a way to let them and Kotori know that I know their secrets," said Aang.

"Why?" asked Katara. "I mean, you know, and life moves on, right?"

"Not exactly. Katara, none of these people know anything of where they came from. Well, no one but Kotori or Meifeng. My entire way of life, which I thought was gone, could possibly be brought back," said Aang.

"Aang, I hate to burst your bubble, but do you really think that these people, who grew up with mostly Earth Kingdom traditions will really want to go back to being separated by gender, living in air temples, and becoming nuns and monks again?" asked Katara.

"No, and I don't intend to ask them to," he said. "I agree that my _exact _way of life is now gone. There will no longer be four air temples, just as there will no longer be any sky bison once Appa is no longer with us. Things _do_ and _will_ change, Katara. But I can't sit back here and let _everything_ die, at least not while I have a chance to save it."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked.

"Airbender training," he replied. "Perhaps, a return to the temples. But like I said, first I need to be able to talk to them about it. Right now I can't even do that."

"Let me think about it while we go get some food," Katara replied. "I'm sure we'll come up with something."


	21. Chapter 21

The wedding day finally arrived and all other concerns and issues fell by the wayside. This was Fei Yen and Kuei's day and no one else's here in the village of Qi Cun.

The decorations were up. Outside the inn were tables dressed in a magenta color. To match the lilies which were hanging, intertwined with white fabric and bows on wires right outside the inn. White plum blossoms flowered from planters placed around the periphery of the street. White candles were placed on every table. Hina did a great job.

Early in the morning, the smell of the wedding dinner started to emanate from the inside of the inn. The menu consisted of roast duck, boiled cabbage, a rice and platypus egg dish, and, of course, a wedding cake with mango adornments.

Fei Yen and Katara (along with some of Fei Yen's other bridesmaids who were mostly cousins and distant relatives) were at her parents' house dressing for the wedding. Katara helped with Fei Yen's make-up while others adorned her hair in small white flowers. Fei Yen's dress was magenta in color with small white and silver highlights.

The men were at the house Zuko was staying in. Kuei was dressed in his wedding garb, the finest that the tailors from Ba Sing Se could make for him. Bosco was also in the house – Kuei made sure he was given a bow tie and hat that matched his outfit. Although Kuei had asked Aang and Sokka to stand up with him, he chose Chao, his longtime employee and friend, to be his best man. Chao was there at the house having just arrived the day before not wanting to neglect his duties at the palace for too many consecutive days, even if it was his King and friend's wedding day.

Toph, Aang and Katara met outside of the inn and made plans for the procession. Once all were in agreement, Toph took Zuko, Mai, Iroh, Sokka, and Suki out the village entrance and headed towards the pond. Once they arrived, they saw that many of the other guests had already started gathering around the water. Toph went towards the waterfall and bended an earth bridge from one side of the pond to the other such that the waterfall was the background to the ceremony, but still far enough away that no one would get wet.

The next to arrive was Aang group, including Kuei. The men approached the pond and veered to the right. Kuei walked onto the newly created earth bridge and stopped in front of the waterfall.

Fei Yen arrived at the pond to many _oohs_ and _aahs_ from the guests in attendance. Although she arrived arm-in-arm with her father, Deshi, she left him by the side of the pond and walked onto the earth bridge from the left.

Kuei took Fei Yen's hands in his and stared into her beautiful gray eyes. "I, Kuei, take you Fei Yen, to be my best friend, my partner in life, and the mother of my children. I will be by your side in times of health and illness, in joy and in sorrow, and in times of plenty and want. I will cherish you. I will protect you. You have given my life meaning and direction. I love you."

Fei Yen responded, "I, Fei Yen, take you Kuei, to be my best friend, my partner in life, and the father of my children. Our love will continue to grow as time progresses until we form a bond that is too strong to break. I will support you and encourage you in all that you are and want to be. I will laugh with you...and I will cry with you. I will stand by your side through all of our ups and downs. I love you. "

With the exchanging of their vows, they were now married. They kissed ever so tenderly in front of their family and friends, who went from being initially silent to now raucous and cheering loudly.

Flower petals were thrown and, thanks to Aang, surrounded the married couple and guests in a whirlwind of fragrance and beauty. It literally looked like it was raining flower petals because once they fell to the ground, Aang's burst of air would bring them above everyone's head again and let them fall gently again.

Fei Yen and Kuei led everyone back to the village so the festivities could begin. Haruko and her sister-in-law Ling, laid out the food and everyone dined in and around the inn. The music, provided by Hong and Chuntao, started up right away. After dinner, the dancing started.

Aang spotted a punch bowl near the door of the inn.

"Kochi, do you happen to know what is in this?" he asked.

"I saw Mom mixing it earlier….it's a mango juice concoction," Kochi replied. "Are you worried about the refined cactus juice again? Don't worry, that stuff is over there." He pointed across the room at another punch bowl, much closer to the kitchen so at least Haruko and Ling, could keep an eye on it.

"Thanks Kochi. After my experience at the engagement party, I think I'll stick with the mango juice tonight," replied Aang.

All the friends took turns dancing the night away with each other. Zuko danced with Mai, Aang with Katara, and Iroh even had a turn with Toph. Every few songs they would switch it up a bit – Aang danced with Toph and Mai with Iroh while Zuko danced with Katara. All the while Momo was jumping from shoulder to shoulder enjoying the dancing and music going on all around him.

Aang and Katara decided to take a break during one of the songs. They sat down and drank some juice together. Haruko stopped by. "Have you seen Fei Yen?" she asked.

"No, I haven't. I thought she was right…oh, I guess not," replied Katara.

"Thanks anyway," said Haruko. "I'll keep looking."

Toph heard the exchange going on and stopped dancing. She sat down in the chair next to Katara. "She's looking for Fei Yen, eh?" she asked.

"Yeah, she was," replied Katara. "I could have sworn I saw her and Kuei over by the band not more than 10 minutes ago."

"I heard them leave," she said. "They went over towards the main house."

"Why would they leave…. Ahh., nevermind," said Katara as she blushed slightly.

"What's going on?" interjected Sokka, who saw the whispering going on at the table.

"Remember that epic night we joked about at the Northern Air Temple?" Aang asked. "Well, it appears to be happening right now."

"No way!" Sokka said. "C'mon!" Sokka grabbed Aang by the sleeve and pulled him over in the direction of the main house.

"Sokka, what are you doing?" shouted Katara as she spotted Aang being dragged away.

"Spying!" he shouted back.

"I'm coming, too!" shouted Toph and she ran over to join the two boys. Katara just rolled her eyes.

The house was completely dark. This made total sense since all the family was currently at the inn having a great time.

"Are they even here?" whispered Aang.

"Oh, they're here all right," said Toph. "You can't feel that?"

Aang stopped and concentrated on his earthbending for a moment. He could feel a rhythmic, albeit distant, pounding.

"What's going on?" asked Sokka.

"Toph's right. I'm pretty sure the deed's been done," Aang replied.

"I can't hear anything!" whined Sokka.

"Sokka, take it easy," Toph said.

"I'm going up to eavesdrop," Sokka replied.

"Sokka! No!" said Aang and Toph in unison.

"It's bad enough we're standing outside the house, but we are _not_ going _in_. How would you like it if we do it to you on your wedding night?" said Aang.

"I wouldn't care. You'd know how much of a stud I am then," Sokka replied proudly.

"Ok then," said Toph. "How much do you think Suki would mind then?"

"Uh…," Sokka muttered.

"Yeah, you'd be dead," said Toph.

The three bystanders snickered and laughed into the palms of their hands.

"Ok, ok, let's get out of here," said Aang.

They went back to the inn and got more to drink before sitting down.

"So was it worth it?" Katara asked.

"Definitely," replied Toph. Aang blushed. Sokka just shook his head at the whole situation.

Eventually, Kuei was spotted coming back to the dance floor. He had a smile from ear to ear. Sokka and Aang got up from the table and approached him.

"So you're awfully smiley this evening," remarked Sokka quietly as he put his arm around his shoulder.

"I just got married. Of course I'm happy," replied Kuei.

"Knock it off," said Sokka. "We know what just happened."

"How did you know?" Kuei asked, obviously a little embarrassed at being caught.

"Well, when the bride and groom disappear from their own party, sometimes people notice," Sokka remarked.

"So how was it?" asked Aang inquisitively.

"I never would have imagined something could be that perfect," he replied, and sighed.

"Told you so," said Sokka.

Aang was happy for his friend, but a little envious as well. He was the last to have this experience – though he knew he was the youngest. He just wished he was a little less hesitant about all this. _Slow - we're taking it slow_, he thought to himself. _But I think I'm ready for the next step_.

He went into the inn and got himself a glass of the juice back towards the kitchen. Haruko spied him and said, "Be careful with that stuff. You know what happened last time."

"Don't worry Haruko," Aang replied. "I won't drink too much."

He returned to Katara who was still sitting at the table with his drink.

"Aang, is that what I think it is?" she asked.

"Sure is," Aang replied.

"Didn't you learn your lesson the last time?" she asked.

"Trust me," he said. "I'm trying something."

She shook her head ever so slightly wondering what he was up to. Others soon joined them. Dancing and talking continued into the night and early morning hours. Everyone was having a great time.

Katara was worried about Aang. She saw him grab one or two more glasses of juice as the night wore on. She also noted that his inhibitions were falling away over time as well. He _looked_ like he was having a great time. She just hoped he was feeling ok.

"Aang, can I talk to you for a minute?" she yelled to him from the table.

"Sure thing," he said and he stopped dancing and walked towards her.

She grabbed his sleeve and led him to the side of the inn. "Aang, I'm worried about you. Why are you drinking that juice again?"

"I'll tell you later," he answered and pinned her up against the wall of the inn. He laid into her with a gigantic and forceful kiss. At first, she leaned back and her eyes opened wide. She had not been expecting this at all. But then, as what was happening sank in a little bit, she relaxed and let the situation flow.

"Katara, where are you?" the two teens heard from around the corner. It was Sokka looking for his sister. Aang and Katara stopped dead and looked at each other. Aang grabbed her hand and whooshed her off in through the back door of the inn, up the stairs, and into the room they had been sharing this last week.

Aang ran towards the window to look down to see if anyone was looking up into their room or was following them towards the back door. When he was satisfied they were safe, he turned around and looked at Katara. He smiled.

For the next few hours, Aang and Katara went further than they ever had before. They enjoyed each other's company as well as each other's bodies - but didn't take it too far. Both agreed that they still weren't ready for that.

"So do you want to know why I drank the juice tonight now?" he asked her. "It's because I've been thinking about doing that for a while, but I was just too nervous to go through with it. I knew it would help me overcome some of my fears so I could do that for you."

"Why would you be nervous?" Katara asked.

"I was afraid I'd do something wrong. It's not exactly something you can practice," Aang replied.

"It's just _me_, Aang. You never have to be afraid or embarrassed with me," she said

"I love you, Katara," Aang said.

"I love you, too," she replied.


	22. Chapter 22

There wasn't much movement in the town of Qi Cun the next morning. Most people had stayed up extremely late and did not emerge from their homes until near lunchtime. By the time Aang and Katara emerged from their room, Haruko and Deshi were already outside starting to clean up the mess. They didn't mind at all; the wedding was near-perfect and the party afterward was a raving success.

Katara started picking up dishes and glasses from outside the inn and taking them back inside for washing. Aang immediately went to work on the trash that was lying on the street, which was a simple task for him since he could just blow it all into a pile for a quick pick-up. Once everything was away, Katara waterbended some water over the area and wiped all the furniture clean from all the crumbs and stains that had been left behind.

"Thank you for your help, Aang and Katara," Haruko said. "I made some breakfast rolls. They are in the kitchen still in the oven. Help yourselves."

"Thanks," they replied in unison and made their way into the inn.

"So how are you feeling this morning," Katara asked Aang.

"Great, actually," he replied.

"Is that because you didn't overdo it last night with the cactus juice? Or was it because of what we did?" she asked.

"Probably a little of both," Aang said blushing.

They each picked up two rolls and sat at one of the tables inside.

"Good morning lovebirds," Suki said from the stairway. She and Sokka were finally stirring from their long morning sleeping in. "How are you two holding up?"

"We're fine. What time did you guys call it quits last night?" Katara asked.

"It was after you two, that's for sure," Suki replied with a smile. "The walls are a little thin up there," she said as she pointed up towards the rooms.

"Oh, sorry…," Katara said.

"Don't be," she interrupted. "And don't be embarrassed either. We love you guys and we're happy that things are working out so well between you two."

Sokka finally joined them at the table. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"Oh nothing," both Katara and Suki replied one right after the other, not wanting to go into it with him.

"So what are our plans now?" asked Sokka. "Kuei and Fei Yen are leaving for their honeymoon later today and we've already said our good-byes at the party. Aang, how long do we have to stay here until you let us leave? You are no farther along than you were when we found that cemetery."

"That's not entirely true anymore," said Aang. "I don't want to go into any details right now. I made a promise to someone I have to keep. But I promise you we will not be here in Qi Cun one week from today. Trust me, I have a plan."

OlOlOlOlOlO

That night, Aang dressed in his black clothes, took his staff, and headed over to Meifeng's house. He snuck into her house and found her room. As he expected, she was in her bed, sleeping.

He used his airbending to make sure he only caressed the floor with his feet. When he got next to her head, he put his hand over her mouth so she would not yell out upon being surprised by his presence. She opened her eyes widely and attempted to scream, but it was instantly muffled by Aang. He motioned for her to shush with the forefinger of this other hand as he pulled his first hand away from her mouth.

"Avatar Aang. What are you doing here?" Meifeng asked.

"I need to talk to you about something. It's really important," he replied.

"Is everything ok? Are my parents ok?" she asked.

"Yes, this is about me and no one else…well, at least not yet," he said.

"Is it safe to talk here? Or will we wake anyone else up?" he asked.

"My Mom is a light sleeper," she replied.

"I think it best to sneak out then. Are you OK with that?" Aang asked.

"Sure," she replied.

"Let's go then," said Aang and he motioned for her to follow him out the bedroom door. She, in the meantime, opened up her window on the second floor and jumped out. She landed softly on the ground.

Aang stuck his head out the window and saw that she was standing there waiting for him. He followed her down and then gave her an inquisitive look.

"I knew how to do that even before I became the next Keeper," she said to him softly.

Aang took her just beyond the village wall so that they wouldn't wake anyone in the village up with, what he expected to be, a full night of airbending.

"I brought my glider," Aang said to her. He then twirled his staff so it opened up into a glider.

"That's really _cool_," she said seeing this transformation. "Did most airbenders have one of those when you were little?" she asked.

"Every single one of us," replied Aang. "Learning how to fly on a glider was a mandatory part of our training. Here, watch me." Aang threw the glider in front of him and jumped high into the air so that he could catch the glider and began to fly around. After a minute or two, he landed back on the ground again in front of Meifeng.

"There are others who live in the Northern Air Temple who also use gliders to fly around. We call them air walkers. But make no mistake, only true air benders can make a glider _fly_. Everyone else simply uses the air currents that are already present to float to the ground," said Aang. "Would you like to try?"

"You would let me use your glider?" asked Meifeng.

"Sure," said Aang. "We need to find a good take-off point for you though. Something easier than just starting here, flat on the ground."

Aang and Meifeng walked to the pond where the cliffs and the waterfall were. Aang once again demonstrated the glider, this time with a take-off from the cliff. Once he landed, he handed it over to Meifeng.

"Now, you just bend the air so that it pushes you up. But not only up, it has to move forward as well," Aang said. "And try to keep a steady stream going. Blasts of air will make it a bumpy ride." He then showed her the moves that would create the air that would allow the glider to fly.

She looked nervous. But after a few moments pondering what she was about to do, she took a running start and leaped off the cliff. Aang quickly hopped back down to the ground below the cliff when he saw Meifeng hesitate and start to fall. Then she let out a blast of air and the glider immediately reacted to her by streaming almost directly skyward. She settled in a bit after that and following some additional 'bumps', she had it going pretty smoothly.

"Watch out for the trees," shouted Aang. He was ecstatic to see someone else use his glider so effectively. _I'm not the last airbender_, he thought to himself once again.

"Woohoo!" Meifeng shouted. Aang smiled at her joy.

After she landed, she ran up to Aang. "That was _amazing_, Aang!"

"I'm glad you liked it. Are you ready to head back to the village?" he asked her.

"Aww," she replied with a bit of disappointment that her first, short foray into true airbending was now coming to an end.

The two airbenders walked the 15-20 minutes or so back to the village entrance.

"Meifeng, one more thing before I return you to your house. I would like you to meet someone," said Aang. "He's a bit big to be hanging out in the village, so he's spent most of his time outside the walls."

Meifeng had a puzzled look on her face. _Too big?_ she thought to herself.

_Growl!_

"Meifeng, I'd like you to meet Appa. He's my sky bison," said Aang.

"_Your_ sky bison?" she asked.

"Yep! When I was a kid, every airbender traveled to the Eastern Air Temple and was matched to a young sky bison. An unbreakable bond was formed. 'A sky bison is a companion for life' Sister Iio would tell us," Aang said.

"Wow, Aang," said Meifeng. "So are there other sky bison out there?"

"I'm afraid not," said Aang. "This is one part of being an airbender that will not survive beyond Appa and I. Appa is the last sky bison. I wish I could change that."

Meifeng looked a little sadder.

"Appa is still here now though. There are so many things about being an airbender that I want to teach the airbenders in Qi Cun," said Aang.

Meifeng saw where this was going and immediately thought about her predicament. "Aang, I'm excited that I can airbend, and I think I truly want to learn from you. I also want to learn what the culture of my ancestors, the Air Nomads, was like. But I can't think of a way to get the rest of the town to agree, especially Kotori."

"Meifeng, it is my belief that Peng and Saura started the tradition of the Keeper to pass down their airbending and Air Nomad knowledge to the next generation of airbenders that it made sense to teach. Obviously, during the war, it wasn't a good idea – that would have been like putting a target on their backs. Now that the war is over, I personally believe the time has come. The only problem is, Kotori isn't ready to believe that now is the time and this is the generation where airbenders need to reemerge. We need to convince her and the rest of Qi Cun that it is time to rejoin the world and bring the airbenders back into the mix again," said Aang.

"But how?" Meifeng asked.

"I've been thinking about this. First we need to demonstrate for the town that I know about the airbenders in Qi Cun. At the same time, I can't get you in trouble for what you've shared with me. I think you need to save someone with your airbending. We need to devise a situation where you can save someone and thus, you had no choice but to airbend," said Aang. "Then, when it is obvious, I can then address Kotori and the town about what is best for the future. Hopefully they will listen."

"Aang, I don't know if I can save someone. What if I mess up?" said Meifeng.

"Remember that blast of air you used to open the hatch in the cemetery? It's the same movements. You just blast the air under the person and their landing will then be soft," replied Aang. "Here, catch me."

Aang climbed up a small rock and pretended that he was about to fall. Just as he was about to hit the ground, Meifeng let out a blast of air that cushioned his landing.

"Great!" said Aang. "Tell you what, I'll ask Sokka to play the victim here. He can't bend and he's clumsy, so no one will be surprised if he is the one who takes a fall. I'll put him on Deshi and Haruko's roof. If you see him up there, be ready to catch him with an airblast. I'll have him look for you, too – it wouldn't be a pretty picture if he fell and you weren't there."

Meifeng sat there pondering this plan for a minute or two. Then she blurted out, "OK, I'll do it!"


	23. Chapter 23

Aang explained the plan to Sokka the next day, who was more than happy to help out. Aang made sure to pump his ego by explaining how important this exercise would be to his grand plan.

That afternoon, Sokka climbed onto the roof of Deshi and Haruko's house.

After a few hours, he called down to Aang, who was down the street keeping an eye out for Meifeng and Kotori, who most likely would be together in the middle of the day. "Aang, are you sure this won't take too much longer? I'm bored!"

"Shhh Sokka. It'll take as long as it does. Just hang tight," said Aang.

More time passed and Sokka was getting increasing restless on his perch. Deshi approached Aang. "Aang, why again is Sokka on the roof of my house?"

"He thought he saw some damage up there and he is thoroughly checking it out. He said it was the least he could do to thank you for all your hospitality this past week," Aang fibbed.

"He's been up there quite a while," noted Deshi.

"He's being _very _thorough," replied Aang. "Hey Sokka, did you finish looking at the roof yet?"

"Um….," he started. Then he saw Aang give him a look that said _don't blow this_. "No, I still see some spots up here that look iffy."

"Very well, Aang," Deshi said and he turned to go back into the house.

Just then, Aang saw Kotori and Meifeng coming towards him. He was sure to alert Sokka by shouting loudly, "Good afternoon, Kotori. Good afternoon Meifeng." Kotori pretty much just grunted and Meifeng remained silent – she looked like she was concentrating on something and looked awfully nervous. Of course, Aang knew what she was probably thinking about.

The two ladies passed Aang and approached Deshi's house. Sokka took his cue. He stood up and shouted down to Aang, "Aang, I think I'm just about done here." Just as he finished, his arms flailed around a few times and he let out a brief scream.

Meifeng jumped into action and airbended a soft cushion of air for Sokka to fall on. She performed her part perfectly. Kotori looked horrified.

"Meifeng! What are you doing?" she yelled.

Meifeng shied away a bit before answering Kotori. "He was falling – I guess I just reacted."

"You may have just exposed us all! Now the Avatar and the others who saw you will begin asking even more questions!" Kotori firmly explained.

"What did you expect me to do?" asked Meifeng. "Let him get hurt?"

Kotori didn't say anything at first.

"You would actually rather him die than to use our _gift_ to save him?" asked Meifeng, who was truly surprised Kotori's feelings about the secrets were really that strict.

Just then a woman and a man ran up to Sokka. "Are you ok? We saw what happened," they said.

Deshi and Haruko came out of the house wondering what all the noise was not realizing it was Sokka falling off the roof. "What's going on?" Haruko asked.

"Sokka fell off the roof and Meifeng saved him," Aang explained.

"How did Meifeng save him?" Deshi asked. "She is so tiny compared to him."

"It looked to me like she airbended," said Aang.

Deshi looked at Haruko knowingly. "So you know?" Haruko asked.

"It appears so," replied Aang. "I already guessed that there were airbenders in this town. Now that I have seen Meifeng use her airbending to save Sokka, I have confirmed that my suspicions are true."

Kotori looked at Aang with near-red in her eyes. She was angry at what had just happened.

Aang walked up to her ready to execute the next part of his plan. "Kotori, can we talk about the airbenders in town?" he asked.

"Absolutely not!" was her reply. "This changes nothing. Once you leave, Qi Cun will go back to the way it was. This is only one of the many secrets we hold here."

"Kotori, it's true that I don't know all your secrets. This must have been one of the big ones though. The world thinks that the airbenders are all dead. Now I know for sure that isn't true. I have the traditions, history and culture of the Air Nomads not to mention the art of airbending in here," he said as he pointed to his head. "I just want to pass along what I know."

Kotori sat there shaking her head the entire time Aang pleaded with her.

"You will soon be gone and it will all be back to the same," she repeated more for her benefit than anyone else's. "You won't tell anyone about us. Why would you risk outsiders finding out about all this and threatening your precious airbenders?"

"Kotori, let me talk with the townsfolk. Let me call a meeting," said Aang.

Kotori turned and started walking away. "Meifeng, come!" she shouted.

Meifeng looked at Aang dejectedly and followed her mentor down the street and around the corner.

Haruko approached Aang and put her hand on her shoulder. "Aang, I'm afraid what Kotori says, goes. Even though you now know there are airbenders in this town, you probably will still get little cooperation from anyone without her blessing."

"I know," he said. His head and shoulders were down in defeat. He successfully exposed the fact that he knew there are airbenders in town – without getting Meifeng in serious trouble – but he still isn't allowed to talk to anyone about it let alone start a dialogue about teaching and training.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Aang sulked the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. At the dinner table, all of his friends stared at him, but dared not say much for fear of upsetting him even more. The room was virtually silent.

"Aang, I assume you plan on staying in Qi Cun a bit longer?" asked Zuko. There was no reply. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get this resolved."

"I honestly don't see how at this point," Aang retorted. "All these villagers do nothing without Kotori's blessing. This role of 'Keeper' just keeps everyone in line with whatever she wants."

Silence.

"We wanted to tell you this a little earlier, but some of us are planning on leaving tomorrow morning. As much as we love and support you – and completely understand why you need to stay here – life moves on and we need to get back," said Zuko.

Aang turned to face all of his friends. "Who is planning to leave?" he asked.

"Mai and I need to get back to the Fire Nation," said Zuko. "I have been away since I arrived at the Southern Water Tribe. Master Piandao, I'm sure, has handled the Fire Nation admirably in my stead, but it is ultimately my responsibility to rule. I cannot, in good faith, stay here any longer."

"I need to get back to Ba Sing Se. I need to continue my role as the central hub of all communication related to the rebuilding. I feel I need to return to that post even though most of the rebuilding is over. Kuei and Fei Yen will return to the palace at the end of the week and I want to be there as an advisor if he needs me. Oh, and I miss my tea shop, too," said Iroh.

More silence.

"Is that everyone?" Aang asked.

Toph stuck her hand up meekly to get Aang's attention. "I can stay if you want, but I don't think I can help your situation much. Here's what I was thinking….you promised Zuko you'd help him with his problem after your time at Qi Cun is done, right? I wanted to travel to the Fire Nation capital with Zuko and Mai on their transport balloon. That way, Appa can easily bring the four of you to the Fire Nation when you are done here."

"Sokka and Suki, are you going to stay?" asked Aang.

"If you need us, of course we will," replied Suki.

"It'd be nice to have _some_ support around here. It's always easier to have four heads working together than just one when new ideas are needed," replied Aang.

As dinner concluded, Aang approached Zuko. He gave him a one-armed hug to say good-bye. "Take care Zuko. I will be in the capital as soon as I'm done here. I just have no idea what I'm going to do yet."

"I know you'll think of something. You're a smart kid," Zuko replied. Then he winked.

Katara said her good-byes as well. The group split into their respective parties. As they turned to go up the stairs, Katara said to Aang, "Aren't you going to ask me if I'm going to stay?"

Aang smiled. "I already know the answer to that one."

Katara smiled.

He leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips.

OlOlOlOlOlO

A few days went by and nothing had changed. Aang still wasn't sure what to do. He thought if he kept his eyes and ears open, he could find Kotori in the village once again and confront her – not that he really thought that would do any good. It never seemed to in the past – plain logic just never worked with Kotori. However, both Kotori and Meifeng were nowhere to be found since the day Meifeng bended air to save Sokka.

One afternoon, the four remaining friends were sitting at a table in the inn talking.

"Maybe we should change strategies," said Sokka. "You've tried the nice route. Maybe you should try the not-so-nice route not."

"Meaning….," started Aang.

"Perhaps you _should_ threaten to expose their town to the world unless they agree to let you train their airbenders. Kotori would be so scared she's bound to let you whatever you want," said Sokka.

"Sokka, that's horrible," said Katara. "You should never threaten people into doing anything. If you do, they'll just turn against you in the long run."

"Besides, if they still don't agree, what am I going to do? Destroy them? Hurt them?" Aang added. "You know I don't believe in violence to accomplish anything."

Sokka sighed. "I tried," he said. "Have it your way. But it seems to me the only option you have is trying to convince them this is the right thing to do. Only two things have gone wrong with that strategy: one, Kotori is nowhere to be found, and two, she won't listen to you even if you do find her."

"I know," said Aang.

Just then Haruko entered the inn.

"Kids, I need your help," she said to the four teens. "It looks like a fierce storm is coming and I need to make sure the inn and the house are ready."

"Of course," replied Katara.

After Haruko did some talking, the four teens scattered in different directions to accomplish the tasks she had asked them to do. Katara and Suki secured the windows with wood and Sokka made sure the bolts on all the doors were tight.

Aang briefly left the village to build an earth structure for Appa so that he would be safe from any rain and wind that may be coming from the storm. "Have a good night, buddy," he said. "It may get a little crazy tonight. Haruko thinks it's going to be a bad one, but you'll be safe in here."

Haruko suggested they all stay together in the main house for the night. That way, all the furniture of the inn could be moved to the rooms above the kitchen in case of flooding. The four friends all agreed that this was the best plan.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara were separated for the night. Because of the proximity to the family, both couples agreed that Suki should stay with Katara and Sokka could stay with Aang. This was only until the danger was passed and they could return to their rooms above the kitchen at the inn.

The storm started around dinnertime. Fei Yen's family as well as the four friends were safely holed up inside the main house. After dinner, they grabbed some hot cider and sat around a fire in the living room.

"I guess if you are going to be in any danger, it is best to have the Avatar as your house guest!" remarked Deshi.

"You got that right," replied Sokka.

_Clack-clack_, they could hear the wind and rain beat against the wood protectors mounted to the windows.

"It sounds downright nasty out there," said Katara. "I'm glad I'm not out in it."

"So Aang, have you had any luck convincing Kotori in the last few days?" asked Haruko, changing the subject.

"I haven't even seen Kotori in the last few days," Aang replied.

"So what are you going to do?" Haruko asked.

"I have been trying to think of _something_, but nothing is coming to me," Aang replied. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Haruko said.

"If Kotori was on-board, would you allow me to take Kochi away to an Air Temple to train him and teach him the ways of the Air Nomads?" Aang asked.

Haruko thought for a moment. "Peng and Saura were my direct ancestors," she replied. "I think that at some point, the airbenders need to re-enter society. The culture of the Air Nomads should be allowed to continue even if not in its purest form. There would be only one huge condition for me."

"And that is….," said Aang.

"Kochi would need to agree," Haruko said. "I am not going to force my son into anything he doesn't want to do."

Aang nodded. "But you need Kotori's blessing," Aang followed-on.

"Yes, it would be nice to have Kotori's blessing," Haruko replied.

"Nice?" Aang asked.

"I can't say I would never be convinced otherwise, but if you get the airbenders to agree to go with you, and their families disagree, and other town members disagree, you will throw us into utter turmoil here in Qi Cun," said Haruko. "Some families may even split up. Perhaps the children who leave won't return because of their anger at their parents, or at Kotori for forbidding them to leave."

"I understand," said Aang. "Kotori is still the key. I need to change her mind." _But how?_

The conversations in the living room continued for the rest of the evening. The storm got weaker and stronger - as if in waves - as time went on. Late into the evening, several folks decided to head up to their bedrooms to try to get some sleep.

Aang and Katara pecked each other on the lips as they turned to enter their respective rooms with Sokka and Suki. Aang continued to think about Kotori as he drifted off to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

"Aang! Avatar Aang! Wake up!" came a voice in Aang and Sokka's bedroom.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Aang said as he sat up and rubbed is eyes.

Aang could now see that the voice who woke him up belonged to a frantic Meifeng. "Oh Aang! I'm sorry to wake you, but it's Kotori. She's out in the storm…"

Sokka stirred as well. "Oh, that's not good," he responded.

"Where is she?" Aang demanded.

"She's in the cemetery. She wanted to protect the history so she decided to stay there while the storm passed," said Meifeng.

"Meifeng, come with me," said Aang.

Aang bounced out of bed and put on the first set of clothes he could find on. He ran out the door and banged on Katara and Suki's door briefly then barged right in.

"Katara, come with me, it's an emergency," Aang said.

Sensing the urgency in his voice, she jumped up and followed him out the bedroom door.

"Suki and Sokka, you stay here. I don't think Katara and I will need your help. Sokka, please re-bolt the door behind us. Suki, let Deshi and Haruko what is going on," said Aang.

Meifeng, Aang and Katara unbolted the front door and ran outside. It was a like a typhoon. The rain was falling almost horizontal to the ground. In front of the house was a very large accumulation of water. Clearly it had been raining huge quantities of water and it was definitely starting to accumulate in places.

Aang's eyes and tattoos glowed for an instant before he unleashed a whirlwind of air to encircle the three of them to protect them from the wind and rain.

Meifeng was taken aback. "Is _this_ airbending? Can _I_ do that, too?" she asked.

As Aang continued to concentrate on his bending, Katara answered the girl. "I'm afraid not. This is airbending, but Aang is the Avatar and this is something that only he can do. Only he can control the winds in the middle of a typhoon."

"Let's go ladies – this isn't the easiest thing to keep going," Aang urged.

The three of them jogged outside the village and made their way to the cemetery. It was flooded and the figure of Kotori could just barely be seen on the roof of the stone building that housed Peng and Saura. Her head was down and she looked like she was barely holding on. Tree branches that had dislodged from their trees were seen flying around as well as other debris that had dislodged from the neighboring forest.

Aang stopped bending his air sphere and told Meifeng to stay behind a tree that he had personally selected for its thick trunk and low branches that she could hold onto.

He lept to the top of the building to see what the status of Kotori was.

"Kotori." He shook her shoulder ever so slightly. Louder still, "Kotori! Are you ok?"

Kotori merely babbled back at Aang, "Must…save….can't….leave…."

"Kotori, are you worried about the history?" Aang asked no longer caring what she did or didn't know. "We need to get out of here or you might get really hurt."

"NO!" she shouted back in a moment of clarity at the mere mention of leaving her post.

"You've been out here way too long already. You have no energy to speak of. You couldn't protect the history even if you wanted to," Aang said, trying to convince her of her situation.

Aang grabbed her arm and she violently pulled it back. The momentum from her pull was so much that she fell backward and hit her head on the edge of the building before almost falling off.

"Kotori!" Aang shouted. "Kotori, are you alright?"

But there was no answer. She was out cold.

"Katara, I need your help!" Aang shouted in her general direction.

He lept down from the building to meet her. He grabbed her and lept again back to the roof of the building. "She's out cold," he said. When I get down to the ground, push her over the edge.

Katara nodded.

The plan worked like clockwork. Just as Aang had shown Meifeng earlier, he caught Kotori in an air blast so that she wouldn't get hurt from the fall. After retrieving Katara again, the two teens grabbed Kotori and made their way to where Meifeng was.

"Meifeng, we got her down. She's not hurt, but she did bang her head on the edge of the building. Katara, perhaps you could help her?" Aang said. "I'm going to get the scrolls and journals to a safer place so that if something happens to the building, they aren't ruined."

Aang ran to a plot of land right outside the cemetery limits. It was on higher ground as compared to where the cemetery itself was. He used his earthbending to raise a block of rock from the ground. He then motioned again and the center of the block became hollow as chunks crumbled and fell to the ground.

_That should be big enough_, he thought to himself.

He ran back to the cemetery and prepared his stance. His eyes and tattoos glowed again and with his first set of moments, he created a water shield so that any falling rain would not hit the stone building. Simultaneously, he used airbending to try to open the hatch to the written documents. However, the hatch didn't open. He tried to open the hatch again. Nothing.

He ran back to Meifeng. "Meifeng, how do I open that hatch?"

"You must step on the stones belonging to Peng and Saura's four children in birth order. Then you must flip a switch located where the dove flies on the tomb. Finally, the blast of air on the hatch."

Aang went back and found the four children. Thankfully, dates were carved into the stones so they was easily touched in birth order. He then bended a flame so that he could better see the bird figures on the side of the building near the roof. A whirlwind formed around him so that he could be lifted up to the level of the figures on the building. Once he found the dove, he touched its beak and the stone moved ever so slightly Aang then leaped to the top of the building and airbended a blast of air at the hatch. He heard a mechanism click and the hatch popped open. Aang re-created the water shield to block the falling rain from entering the hatch – then he jumped in.

He created an air sphere outside of the hatch to encompass the documents as they blew around inside of it. _Better that they are safe than in any sort of order. That can be sorted out later._ He carried the sphere with him to his newly created stone vault. He used earthbending yet again to seal the vault with a new slab of rock. He then reinforced the entire thing with yet another layer of rock. _There's no way that will be damaged in this storm_.

He ran back to the women. "Katara, what's the status?" Aang asked.

"She banged her head pretty hard. She'll be ok, but for now, we just need to get her back to the village. She's going to have one heck of a headache when she wakes up," said Katara.

Katara and Aang each took one of Kotori's arms over their shoulders and walked her back to Deshi and Haruko's house all the while protected by a new sphere of air made by the Avatar.

_Bang, bang_! Meifeng pounded on the bolted front door.

Sokka unbolted the door and let the group in.

Deshi and Haruko grabbed Kotori from Aang and Katara and brought her into the house.

"She banged her head on the edge of the stone building in the cemetery," said Katara. "She'll be ok, but she needs to rest. I think she was out there since the storm began."

"Katara, help me take her to one of the beds upstairs," said Haruko. The three women disappeared up the stairs.

"What happened out there?" asked Sokka.

"It's all under control now. Kotori was on the roof of Peng and Saura's tomb. I tried to get her to safety, but she resisted and ended up hurting her head. Katara has already looked at her and she's going to be ok," said Aang.

"You must both be exhausted," said Deshi to both Aang and Meifeng.

"Yes, most definitely," said Aang as he was about to plop into one of the chairs in the living room – then he caught himself. "I guess that isn't a good idea being as wet and dirty as I am. C'mon Meifeng, I'm sure there are some clean clothes for you upstairs."

With that, they too went upstairs.

_Knock-knock_. "Katara?"

"Yes, Aang?" she replied.

"Meifeng's here. Can you find her some clothes she can wear?" he asked.

"Sure. Come on in Meifeng," Katara replied. The women were busy getting Kotori's clothes off of her and getting her into the bed.

With that, Aang headed towards his own bedroom. He changed out of his clothes and plopped down on the bed. In no time at all, he was asleep. It had been an exhausting night.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang awoke to the sound of yelling the next morning. He quickly put on a pair of pants and ran out into the hallway. The yelling was coming from Katara's room.

"What did you do!" Kotori screamed. "It's all your fault!"

Katara, Suki and Haruko were already in the room trying to calm her down.

"What's going on?" Aang asked Katara.

"Last night, Suki and I slept downstairs in the living room so Kotori could just stay put here in the bedroom. We heard her shouting so we ran up here. And that's all I know," said Katara.

"How did I even get here?" shouted Kotori. "I should be in the cemetery!"

Aang, quite sick of Kotori's domineering ways and they way he's had to tip toe around her the entire time he's been in Qi Cun, was done with her. He bended some water from a glass that was by her bedside and splashed it across her face. The result was silence as everyone, even Kotori, was surprised by what had just happened.

"Kotori, if Katara and I had not gone out there and gotten you, you could be dead right now!" Aang shouted at her.

Kotori looked dejected. She pouted as she sat there not saying a word. She didn't even acknowledge what Aang had just said to her. She crossed her arms and looked away.

Aang threw his arms up and stormed out of the room. "I give up!" he shouted.

The others soon followed Aang out of the room. They were not very happy with her either.

"Meifeng, stay with me. Help me get dressed," Kotori said to Meifeng as she was leaving. But Meifeng ignored the order and kept walking.

A few at a time, each of the residents of the house made their way to the kitchen for breakfast. The sun was shining through cracks in the wood that covered the window.

"I guess the storm is over," said Suki. "I wonder how the rest of the town fared."

They chowed down on fruit and sweet pastries for breakfast.

_Slam!_ Someone went out the front door. But no one in the kitchen said a word. They all knew who had just left.

"Meifeng, what are you going to do?" asked Katara. "You've never spoken back to Kotori before – do you think she'll forgive you and continue your training?"

"I don't care anymore," Meifeng replied. "I used to think it was a huge honor to be Keeper. But she's such a wretched old woman. I don't even want to be around her anymore even if it means I'm no longer the next Keeper."

"I'm sure it won't come to that," said Aang.

"Aang, I want to train with you. If I have any choice about my path in life, that is what I choose," said Meifeng.

"I'm very glad to hear that Meifeng, but I don't want to make any rash decisions without the support of the town," said Aang. "I think it is time I stopped concentrating on Kotori and shifted my focus on the town itself." He turned to everyone in the kitchen and addressed them. "My friends, can you all pass along a message that I would like to speak to the town in front of the inn just before dinner time tonight?"

General agreement was heard from all of the breakfast attendees.

As they cleared away their dishes and started cleaning up, Haruko grabbed Aang's arm and said, "And you have my blessing if Kochi would like to train with you as well."

Aang nodded his acknowledgement and then left the room.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The crowds gathered in front of the inn just before dinner that evening – just as Aang had requested. Most folks were very curious what this meeting, called by the Avatar, was all about. When it appeared that most of the town was present, Aang jumped up to the roofline of the inn and started speaking.

"Citizens of Qi Cun. I have had the opportunity to meet most of you during my visits here to your town. I have attended parties in honor of your residents and I now consider a few of you very close friends of mine. Even though I'm the Avatar, I wanted you to know that I care for you and wouldn't do anything to risk this town."

Whispering was heard now and again as Aang made his opening remarks.

"I was born at the Southern Air Temple 113 years ago. I spent the first 12 years of my life training to become a Master Airbender and was the youngest Air Nomad to earn his tattoos. I grew up surrounded by monks, nuns, sky bison, and flying lemurs. I ate fruit pies and other delicacies that were endemic to the Air Nomads. I played their games. That was my life.

100 years later, I woke up to find a world war raging and my culture and history decimated. For the last year, I was convinced that I was the last airbender.

Then fate brought me to Fei Yen and Fei Yen brought me to Qi Cun. Although it is a big _secret_ around here, especially to outsiders, I do know that much of this town is directly descended from two airbenders."

A gasp could be heard.

"How did he know?" someone mumbled aloud.

"There are airbenders among you. I have seen some of you use your airbending though I understand there is no longer any formal training going on.

I know Kotori is your Keeper and you listen to her wishes. This is very admirable of you. But I must disagree with her ways. Yes, there was a time to stay hidden and not let the world know of your existence, but I believe Peng and Saura, your ancestors, kept your history and secrets so that they may come out again someday when it was time for Qi Cun to rejoin the world. I have traveled the world and met so many wonderful, kind people in the last year-and-a-half. Fire Lord Ozai is defeated, the Fire Nation is now an ally led by a good man who you have already met, and the war is over. I am convinced that now is the time for Qi Cun to end its hidden ways."

"No!" came a voice from the back of the crowd. It was Kotori. She made her way so she stood under Aang and addressed the crowd.

"We have been safe here in Qi Cun for 100 years because of what Peng and Saura did for us. They moved the Earth Kingdom village of Wushi here and hid it from the world. We are what we are today because of them and their sacrifice. We must continue to stay hidden and protect our airbenders," said Kotori.

"To what end?" asked Aang. "Your airbenders don't have any skills to speak of. What good is it to boast of airbenders when you don't allow them to leave your tiny village. All they can do is jump high and leap from windows and cliffs without getting hurt!"

"So what would you suggest, Avatar? Do you intend on taking our airbenders away from us?" asked Kotori, clearly baiting Aang.

"Yes…and no," replied Aang. He turned back towards the villagers. "Citizens, I commit to you that I will train and host any of you who would like to relocate with me to the Eastern Air Temple. I have chosen that location because it is the closest to this town. But I do feel strongly that any training that takes place needs to be done in an Air Nomad location. Not only does it already contain most of the training tools that I would need, but it houses the art and culture of your ancestors and that can be passed down as well."

"You want to split us up?" asked a villager.

"I will never do something that you disagree with. If an airbender does not want to leave their family and receive training, then so be it. If a family is willing to move to the Eastern Air Temple with their airbender, then that's ok too. Or the airbender can come alone and visit Qi Cun as they wish. Basically, I want you to think of Qi Cun and the Eastern Air Temple as sister villages – both will belong to you and are at your disposal."

There were some nods of agreement and understanding coming from the crowd. A few mumbles were heard as the discussion continued among the people in attendance.

Kotori was obviously losing her audience the longer Aang spoke.

"Citizens, the Avatar has ulterior motives! I am your Keeper and you must believe me. Let me tell you what he did last evening. During the storm I was guarding the history and secrets of this town. It is hidden, as you know, and only two of us in the town knew where it was! It was the Avatar who forced me from my post. Because of that, the history was destroyed! I have spent this entire day mourning the loss!"

"What do you mean it was 'destroyed'?" asked Aang.

"Gone! Pffft!" replied Kotori. "The building where it was housed was destroyed by a tree! The tree fell right on top of the building, which is now in ruins. There are no papers to speak of – and believe me, I looked!"

Aang rolled his eyes and shook his head. Yet again, Kotori was being a thorn in his side. "Come with me," he said to Kotori. He turned to the crowd, "Everyone, follow me!" Kotori hesitated; Aang grabbed her sleeve and pulled her along.

Aang walked outside of the town and headed towards the cemetery.

What Kotori said was true. Unlike the last time Aang was here, there were a few more trees that had been blown down – and one did crash right into the stone building. The bottom portion was still intact so Peng and Saura could be respectfully moved, but the top of the building was in pieces on the ground.

"Everyone, this is where the history was stored," said Aang. Kotori gave him a look. He looked back and said, "Well, you aren't storing it here anymore, are you? I don't think it does any harm to tell them where it _used_ to be."

"See? If I was here, I may have saved the history. Not a single book or scroll is left," she said.

"Kotori, if you had stayed, you'd be between the stone building and the tree that fell on it. I dare say, you wouldn't be alive right now," said Aang. "Oh, and you can thank Meifeng for your life and what I'm about to show you…."

Aang walked over to the rock vault that was sticking out of the ground. "Kotori, come here," he demanded.

She walked up to him.

"Did you happen to notice this new landmark on your way to the cemetery this morning?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

Aang stomped on the ground and one side of the rock vault slid to the ground revealing the inner contents. He bowed and opened his hands to present to her the papers inside the vault. "Ta-da!"

Kotori was speechless. She approached the vault with the crumpled and jumbled papers inside and started picking them up one at a time and looking at them. It was like everything she thought to be true had just reversed itself in one fell swoop.

"Kotori?" Aang said softly to the Keeper.

She continued to dig through the papers as if categorizing each one in her mind.

"Kotori, are you ok?" asked Aang. "Say something."

With a look of bewilderment and several scrolls in her hand, she turned to the Avatar and gave him a bear hug. "Oh, thank you, Aang, thank you," she said in a whisper on his shoulder. Tears were flowing from her eyes. "I thought I had lost it all."

Aang smiled at the breakthrough. _Finally_, he thought.

"Kotori, your history is safe. Do you see now that I only mean the best for the village and its people?" asked Aang.

"Yes," she replied. "My eyes are now open. If not for you, the history would have been destroyed - the precious history and scrolls left by Peng and Saura. I am still unsure whether what I'm about to say is the right thing to do, but in light of all that has happened, I must trust you and will do what you ask. You have earned that much."

She looked directly into his stormy gray eyes, eyes that were so similar to others in the town.

"If you want to bring the airbenders back into the world, you have my blessing."


	25. Chapter 25

Over the next few days, Aang, his friends, and Deshi and Haruko would often meet to discuss the future and make plans. Aang asked Deshi and Haruko to give him advice not only because they were the parents of one of the airbenders he wanted to train, but also because they were life-long residents of Qi Cun and they pretty much knew what was going to fly and what wasn't (so to speak).

Everyone agreed that the first step was for Aang and some of the others to return to the Eastern Air Temple to bring it to its former glory. Currently, it was a shadow of its former self – not to mention the fact that no one other than Guru Pathik had inhabited it for 100 years, which left it poorly maintained and crumbling. Aang would oversee the rebuilding and develop a training plan based on what he learned during his childhood.

Over time, he had an opportunity to meet with any townsfolk who were interested in more information about his plans. After a few days, the overall picture of what to expect started to emerge.

Haruko and Deshi agreed that they would move from Qi Cun to the Eastern Air Temple. Fei Yen was already married and living in the palace in Ba Sing Se and thus, did not play a part in the decision. Their son, Kochi, would move with them and train with Aang. Haruko and Deshi also agreed that they would be responsible for feeding those living at the Eastern Air Temple and would also act as guardians to the airbenders who moved there to train without their families.

Meifeng also quickly decided to join the training class. Her father was also an airbender who wanted to train, though at his age of 43, was not sure if he could ever be a master airbender before he was too old. Meifeng's mother, Min, would move to the temple as well and, since she was one of the teachers in the town of Qi Cun, she would become the primary educator at the Eastern Air Temple. Meifeng's two sisters, Xia and Hye would also accompany the family, though they could not bend.

Two other boys would be relocating, albeit without their families. One was 13 year-old Tengfei and the other was 7 year-old Kanpu.

The final airbender who would train was a 24 year-old mother named Suwan. Her family – husband Ping and three year-old daughter, Huashang – would accompany her.

That will give Aang a total of six benders to train. _Not a bad start_, he thought to himself.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The night before they planned to leave, Aang sat down to make plans and timelines. Sokka was right there to help him.

It was too early to yank everyone away from Qi Cun just yet – after all, the decision to move had just been made within the last day or two. For most people, this would be their first trip ever outside of the village and Aang couldn't expect them to be ready so soon.

The first stop for Aang would be the capital city of the Fire Nation to help Zuko with his problem. He desperately wanted to find his mother if she was still living, and needed help to get his father to talk.

Once this promised task was completed, Aang would turn his attention to rebuilding the Eastern Air Temple and relocating the selected Qi Cun residents.

There was one last thing he had in mind that he wanted to do before heading for the Fire Nation the next day. Aang sat down and started writing a scroll:

_Mechanist,_

_I hope this scroll finds you well. It has been a few months since we last saw each other at the Northern Air Temple. At the time of my departure, Kuei and Fei Yen had just gotten engaged. Since then, I have had the opportunity to visit Fei Yen's village (Qi Cun) and to my surprise, I found that there are airbenders still alive in the world today. (It's a long story - I hope to be able to tell you it in person)._

_We have made plans to relocate some people to the Eastern Air Temple. I would like to re-establish some sort of home for them. A home as well as a place where they can train and learn. However, you can imagine the ruin that the temple is in. I have a friend who lived there alone for a few years, but other than that, the place has not been touched since the Fire nation attacked. It is in sorry shape._

_I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I wanted to ask anyway. You and the others at the Northern Air Temple are the only ones who have taken the time to make an air temple your own. You have had to upgrade and overhaul so many of the spaces there…and I noted during my last visit that you have also begun to restore many of the features and areas back to the way they were during the Air Nomad era. Would you be willing to also work on the Eastern Air Temple? Or at least, share some of your skills with us so that we might make the Eastern Air Temple a beautiful place to live again?  
_

_I am currently in Qi Cun but I am leaving for the Fire Nation tomorrow. I will be staying with Zuko at the palace if you want to send me a return message. I should be there for at least the next few weeks._

_Aang_

The next morning, Aang, Katara, Sokka and Suki left for the Fire Nation capital.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**10 months ASC**

A few days later, in the early afternoon, Appa landed in the palace courtyard and the four friends dismounted and started walking into the palace. It wasn't long before some of the palace staff spotted them and ran to tell Zuko and Mai that their expected visitors had arrived.

Zuko soon emerged to greet his friends. "So you made it," he said as he walked up to the group.

"Yeah, finally," said Sokka.

"At least you have Appa," said Mai as she entered the room. "There's only so much you can do on a transport balloon not to get bored."

"Oh Mai, just think if you had to travel the _old_ way – it would have taken weeks!" said Suki.

"So what happened?" asked Zuko, referring to Aang's situation in Qi Cun at the time he left.

"Zuko, you're not going to believe what happened," started Aang. "But before telling you the story, do you mind if we get settled in? I figure we'll just hang out the rest of today and I can catch you up on the latest Qi Cun happenings."

"Sure, that sounds like a plan," Zuko replied. "I have you guys staying in the east wing near Toph. That's where we put up most of the dignitaries that come to visit the palace."

"Dignitaries? Hmmm…I feel really special!" Katara commented sarcastically.

"Don't let it go to your head…if you can help it," replied Zuko with a smirk on his face as he elbowed Katara to show he was kidding.

"Do you mind sending someone to feed Appa while we get unpacked?" asked Aang.

"Not a problem," replied Zuko.

"We'll see you around dinner then," said Aang.

"Good, I've got some stuff I need to tie up anyway. Y'know, being the Fire Lord and all," said Zuko.

With that, the friends scattered and went their separate ways.

Appa's saddle was removed and all their personal belongings were brought to their respective rooms in the east wing.

Katara knocked on the door she was told belonged to Toph.

"Yeah, what is it?" Toph bellowed from behind the door.

"Toph, its Katara. I just wanted to say 'hi' and let you know we're here."

"Oh!" Toph exclaimed. The door opened and the petite earthbender emerged to give Katara a giant bear hug.

"I was wondering when you guys were going to get here," she said. "Let me tell you, that transport balloon was ok, but I prefer Appa. I never thought I'd actually hear myself say that."

"It's good to see you, Toph," said Katara. "Aang and I are going to unpack and rest until dinner, but we'll see you there, right?"

"Yup! I never miss a meal – especially ones cooked by Zuko's chef! I'm surprised I haven't gained weight since I've been here!"

"See you then," said Katara as she closed the door behind her.

She made her way to the room she and Aang would be sharing. When she walked in, Aang was already there.

"So what do you think?" he asked her.

"Wow. This room is amazing!" Katara remarked. "It's almost as big as the Jasmine Dragon – and its only one room!"

"I could get used to this," said Aang.

"Me too. Try not to though. The only time we'll ever get a room as luxurious as this is when we visit Zuko," said Katara.

"I'm going to take a bath," said Aang. "I haven't had a good scrub since we left Qi Cun a few days ago." With that, he walked into the adjoining bathroom.

Katara went out on the verandah for a few minutes to take in the afternoon sunshine. As much as she loved Aang and would follow him anywhere, she liked the fact that they actually stayed in most places for more than a day at a time like they did before the war ended. Now she was in the Fire Nation and fully expected to be here at least a week or two.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The rest of the day was filled with food, laughs and stories as each person talked about the distant and not-so-distant past. The members of the group knew that they should cherish these times together as they would be less and less frequent as time marched on.

Of all the stories that were told, none was as exciting as Aang's adventures in Qi Cun. Sure, most of the group had been there for most of the happenings, but Aang could fill any blanks in from beginning to end. The fact that he was planning to train six airbenders in the near future was enough to light the room up with joy. They all loved Aang and the fact that he found others of his kind that he could work with and train was some of the best news they had heard since the defeat of the Fire Lord.

Zuko and Mai talked about their wedding date. It was quickly approaching, thanks to the fact that they hardly had to lift a finger to prepare anything. They decided that they would marry in two months time just as summer was making way for fall. The weather should still be good enough so that some of the day could be spent outside. Zuko, of course, asked his friends to participate in the wedding. Both Aang and Sokka would stand up with him along with his Uncle, who would be his best man.

Sokka had at one point taken Zuko aside and asked him, "What's the rush?"

"Frankly Sokka," said Zuko in a whistper, "we had a scare."

"A scare?" Sokka repeated, not fully understanding Zuko's meaning.

"Yeah, well. You could say we took advantage of our visit to the south pole…," said Zuko.

"Um….ok?" said Sokka, still not fully grasping what Zuko was getting at.

Zuko slapped his forehead. "Sokka, we thought Mai was pregnant!"

"Oh! Got it," Sokka replied. "But she's not, right?"

"No, it was a false alarm. But since we're engaged anyway, we figured there is no real reason to wait. I don't need any scandals this early into my reign if something _were_ to happen."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, after breakfast, the group of friends gathered in one of the palace's sitting rooms to discuss how they could best help Zuko.

"So Zuko, this is about your mother, right?" asked Katara.

"Yeah. Some of you already know the story, but I will tell it again to all of you just in case I left out any details," said Zuko. "My mother's name is Ursa and she was banished when I was 9 years old. I don't know exactly what happened, but I infer from everything I've heard that she had a part in my grandfather Azulon's death. Because of this, she was banished as a traitor by my father."

"Why do you think she was involved in Azulon's death?" asked Aang.

"My father asked Azulon to bypass Uncle and put himself in the throne. I was there hiding behind a curtain when he asked. Azulon was enraged, especially since Uncle had just lost his only son, Lu Ten. My sister told me that night that she heard Azulon tell my father that to repent for his request, that he would need to kill me so that he would know what it felt like to lose a first born son. Mom overheard Azula telling me this. She grabbed Azula and took her out of the room. The next thing I knew, Mom was waking me up in the middle of the night and telling me she had done something to protect me. The next morning, she was gone, Azulon was dead, and my father was the new designated Fire Lord. I never saw her after that."

"This was eight years ago? Wow, that's just about half your life," said Suki.

"And I thought _my_ parents were messed up," said Toph.

"All I have ever been told was that she did 'evil' things against the Fire Nation and that she was banished. My father never told me anything more, but I bet you he knows something," said Zuko. "I just can't get him to talk.

"And that's where we come in," said Sokka. "I bet we can get him to talk."

OlOlOlOlOlO

A few days later, a new prisoner entered the capital city prison and was to be put in the cell next to Ozai. "Get in there, scum!" the guard said as he shoved the scruffy new prisoner into his new full-time home.

"Uh!" the prisoner groaned as he was shoved into the cell, hitting a wood bench on his way down to the dirt floor.

"You don't have to be so rough!" the prisoner exclaimed.

Nothing was said and no noise was made while the guard stood there and took a mental inventory of his two highest-level prisoners. Soon, he let out a 'hmph!' and turned his back to walk away.

As soon as the guard was gone, the new prisoner spoke, "The name's Kaji. Yours is….?"

No reply was heard from Ozai's cell.

"You don't have to be so rude, y'know. We're going to be neighbors for a long time - probably for the rest of our lives," said Kaji.

Nothing was heard from either cell the rest of the day.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next day started with a shout. "I'm hungry!" Kaji yelled. "Don't you feed the prisoners?"

"Quiet!" said the guard as he approached the front of the cell. "You'll get fed in due time. Twice a day – breakfast is in about an hour, and for dinner twelve hours later. You should count yourself lucky you are still here to eat anything. If I was out in the field and had captured you, you wouldn't still be alive."

"Yeah, yeah," said Kaji. "What I did, I did for the Fire Nation! Long live Phoenix King Ozai! Thanks to 'brave' soldiers like you, we lost the war!"

"I don't even think Ozai would have approved of what you did," replied the guard knowing that Ozai was sitting there in the very next cell.

With that, the guard once again walked away from the cell. An hour later, he returned with breakfast for the two prisoners. A half hour after that, the plates and trays were taken away.

Kaji continued to sit silently in his cell.

"So what _did_ you do to get in here? It must have been pretty serious if they put you in this wing." Ozai was finally speaking to his neighbor.

"After the war ended, I continued to fight for the Fire Nation," Kaji said. "I led a group of rebels. We would set fire to villages in the Earth Kingdom and burnt them to the ground."

"But why did you keep fighting even through the Phoenix King had been defeated?" Ozai asked.

"I never thought that the war was lost. It was merely a set-back. The Phoenix King will be rescued from his imprisonment and will rise again!" said Kaji. "My friends on the outside have been plotting his escape."

"Hmmm….is that right?" Ozai said. "So how many villages do you think you burned down?"

"At least 20. I lost count, actually," said Kaji.

"Were your fires….deadly?" asked Ozai.

"Of course. I only selected villages with at least a hundred inhabitants. The fires were set at night so that most people would be in their homes sleeping. I bet I took over a thousand Earth Kingdom lives with my efforts."

Ozai smiled. After all these months, he may have found a comrade he could talk to.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next day, the guard came into the alcove and announced that Fire Lord Zuko was on his way for a visit. A few minutes went by and in walked Zuko, dressed to the nines in his finest regalia.

"Father," said Zuko.

Nothing was said in return.

"Father, I came to see if you had changed your mind," said Zuko.

Again, no reply.

"I'm getting married in a few months, not that I ever thought you'd care. If Mom is alive, I want her there."

Silence.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you? You lost _everything_ and this is the one and only thing you can still hold against me to torture me," said Zuko. "You are a sadistic human being, if you can even be called that."

Ozai turned to look at his son. He grinned.

With that, Zuko stormed out of the area.

OlOlOlOlOlO

After a few minutes of silence, Kaji spoke up. "Are you…._Fire Lord Ozai_?"

"You're a master of perception," Ozai replied sarcastically. "And you may still refer to me as the Phoenix King."

"Oh, Phoenix King, sir. I had no idea that was you in the cell next to me. I am your humble servant," said Kaji.

This was exactly the response Ozai wanted to hear. "Not that there's much you can do for me in your current situation, now is there?"

"No, there's not. But if I ever get out of here, you can bet that I will continue my work on your behalf," said Kaji.

OlOlOlOlOlO

A few more days passed by. Ozai and Kaji began speaking on more regular intervals as Ozai felt more comfortable around his neighbor. There wasn't much to do in the cells, and being that they were both prisoners of the highest level, they were not even permitted to exit their cells for any period of time.

Kaji finally took the opportunity to bring up Fire Lord Zuko's brief visit.

"So how does it feel to have your son as the new Fire Lord even though you are still alive?" Kaji asked his leader.

"It's humiliating," replied Ozai. "If I ever get out of here, reclaiming my throne will be the first thing I do. I can't believe after everything that I planned for and worked to achieve, that little _nothing_ is sitting on the throne."

"But he's your son. I know you banished him for a few years, but you _did_ welcome him back, didn't you?" asked Kaji.

"You don't know the whole story. He was back only for a short while. Remember that eclipse that hit before the comet? He confronted me that day and told me he was no longer taking orders from me and that he was going to end the war by helping the Avatar," said Ozai.

"Oh no, he didn't….," said Kaji.

"He always was a weakling. Both his mind and his body. Azula's the strong one. She's the one who _should_ have taken over," said Ozai. "But again, Zuko and his friends got in the way."

"I didn't realize...," said Kaji.

OlOlOlOlOlO

A few more days passed.

Ozai heard some noises coming from Kaji's cell.

"Kaji, what are you doing over there," Ozai said.

There was no reply at first.

"Aaah!" screamed Kaji.

"What is wrong with you?" said Ozai.

"It was just a dream. A very – bad – dream," said Kaji.

"I was wondering…," said Ozai.

"Oh, was I making noises? Yeah, I'm known to mumble in my sleep. At least that's what my wife used to tell me," Kaji said.

"You're married?" asked Ozai. "I wouldn't have pegged you as the marrying type."

"She is just as committed towards the Fire Nation – _your_ Fire Nation – as I am. She's probably been quite busy since I was captured," said Kaji. "I was dreaming about her when I woke up just now. She was being killed by some of Zuko's soldiers. It seemed so real."

"Well, now that you're here, you may as well forget about her," said Ozai. "Based on what you've told me, you aren't leaving here anytime soon."

"Yeah, I know," said Kaji, sadly. "I'm going to miss her though."

"You'll get over her," said Ozai. "You probably didn't need her nearly as much as you think you did."

"You were married, weren't you?" asked Kaji.

"I was married for 10 long years," said Ozai flatly.

"You didn't love your wife?" asked Kaji.

"I did, or at least I thought I did, in the beginning. But she turned out to be a bore," said Ozai.

"What do you mean?" asked Kaji.

"She was definitely beautiful. She never talked very much. One of the reasons I think I liked her so much was because she was never very enamored with me. As a prince, I could get just about any woman in the Fire Nation that I wanted. But she never cared all that much about who I was and what title I held. Looking in retrospect, it made me pursue her even more," said Ozai.

"You probably just lost interest once you 'caught' her," said Kaji.

"That could be it. Once we were married, things were still fine at first. I'm sure she loved me else she wouldn't have married me. But when Zuko was born, she turned all her attention to him. He became her life instead of me," said Ozai.

_Perhaps that's one reason why he hates his son so much_, thought Kaji.

Ozai continued, "Even when Azula was born, she still gave Zuko most of her attention."

"So what ever happened to your wife?" asked Kaji.

"Her name was Ursa," said Ozai. "She ultimately was banished from the Fire Nation."

"For what?" Kaji asked. "Because of how she treated you?"

Ozai laughed. "I wasn't happy in my marriage, but that certainly doesn't merit _banishment._"

"There was an incident," started Ozai. "Let's just say she played a major part in Fire Lord Azulon's death."

"She _killed_ him?" Kaji asked.

"I'm not going to say what she did," said Ozai.

"Well, if she helped to end his life, I would have thought you would have sentenced her to death," said Kaji.

"But don't forget – I then became Fire Lord as a result," said Ozai. "What she did was wrong, and there _are_ other details that I am not divulging to you, but let's just say that banishment was the appropriate punishment for her crimes against the Fire Nation."

_And I'm sure the harshest thing about it was never seeing Zuko again, _thought Kaji.

"Do you even care where she ended up?" asked Kaji.

"Oh, I know exactly where she ended up," said Ozai, and he left it at that.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It was virtually the same schedule day after day. Two meals were served by the guards – breakfast and dinner. The guards also came to check on the prisoners about once an hour – but there were definitely times when they didn't even bother. After all, these two men weren't going anywhere – so what was the point?

Dinner was served as usual one evening.

Kaji lifted up his plate to find a note scrawled under it. When the guards were gone, he comments to Ozai. "It looks like I have a friend in the prison."

"What do you mean?" asked Ozai.

"I just got a note that one of my friends is now a cook for the prisoners," replied Kaji. "He took the job so he could keep the communication lines open with me."

"That's convenient," said Ozai. "You'll never see him though. It's not like cooks can come visit the prisoners. Unless he's a guard, he'll do you no good."

"I disagree," said Kaji. "I can send notes back with the dishes and maybe he can sneak me in things that I ask for."

"Oh, so nevermind that you're locked up in here for the rest of your life, but at least he can sneak you in some fire gummies or an extra slice of bread from time to time," said Ozai.

"It's not just that," said Kaji. "I can keep tabs on the situation in the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. I can continue to serve you even from here."

OlOlOlOlOlO

A few more days passed. Several more conversations ensued between the two imprisoned men. Several more notes were found under Kaji's plate, though there was really nothing happening to speak of just yet.

Eventually, they ended up back on the subject of Ozai's family and past troubles.

"I've been thinking about some of our past conversations…," Kaji began. "If you really want to hurt Zuko, and punish him for what he did to you, you need to hit him where it really hurts."

"What are you thinking?" Ozai asked.

"I heard what he said to you during that last visit. He wants to see his mother again," said Kaji. "It seems to me that he is still very connected to her even though they have been separated for so long." He then paused. "You should have her killed."

"What good would that do?" Ozai asked. "If things stay the way they are, he'll never see her again anyway. If I have her killed, she'll just be missing and dead instead of missing and alive. What would be the difference to Zuko?"

"What I meant was….have her killed, and make sure it is done in a very public way. That way he'll _have_ to know what happened. It will absolutely devastate him," said Kaji.

"Hmmmm…..," hummed Ozai whose mind was just grasping the full potential of what Kaji was proposing. "You're right. That would cause him a great deal of anguish. But how?"

"My friends on the outside. I can send them instructions and have the deed done," said Kaji.

Ozai thought for a few minutes to make sure he was thinking through everything clearly. We wanted to make absolutely sure there was no negative repercussions that may befall him. _Even if they find out I did this, apart from execution, things can't get much worse for me anyway. Zuko doesn't have the guts to do that anyway_.

"Alright. I'm in. What do you need to know?" asked Ozai.

Kaji thought for a moment. "The first thing I need to know is where she is."

"When she left the Fire Nation capital city, she was sent to work in a factory near the town of Jang Hui. She worked there for several years before it was attacked and destroyed only months before my defeat in the Wulong forest," explained Ozai.

"So if it was destroyed, where did she go from there?" asked Kaji.

"She and her guards were housed at the housing near the factory. Even though the factory was destroyed, they were instructed to stay there and await further orders even though the majority of the soldiers and factory workers moved on," said Ozai.

"She had guards?" asked Kaji.

"I had to assign a unit to guard her. I needed to ensure she did not return to the capital city," said Ozai.

"So she should still be there," said Kaji.

"The guards I assigned were among my most loyal. I needed to make sure she remained banished else she may have thrown a wrench into my plans. She may have told the world what happened that night she left. She may have reunited with Zuko, and I needed him away from her influence," said Ozai. "I am confident that she is still near Jang Hui, even with my defeat."

"I'll make sure I send instructions to my friends that tell them where she is. I think the best strategy is to have her kidnapped. We can then send a ransom note to Fire Lord Zuko. He'll know she's alive and his hopes for a reunion will be at their highest. Then we'll kill her, dump her body in a public place, and he'll be devastated."

"If you tell her guards 'a phoenix is coming' they will fully cooperate with you," said Ozai.

"A phoenix is coming?" repeated Kaji.

"The phrase was put in place before I lost to the Avatar," explained Ozai.

"Oh," replied Kaji, flatly.

"But this is the last pass phrase we agreed upon and they should still use it as a sign that it's me sending them instructions," said Ozai.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Over the next few days, Kaji took every opportunity to write notes to his friend, the prison cook. Each note detailed the overall plan – where Ursa is, who was guarding her, what to do with her when they got to her, and the pass phrase that would make the guards listen to them.

Finally, Kaji stated, "It's done. Everything should be in place and I'm sure my friends are preparing for their journey to the Jang Hui area."

"When do you think we'll hear something?" asked Ozai.

Kaji thought for a moment. "Given the amount of time it takes to get there, pass a few messages back and forth, and ask for the ransom, I'd say we should hear something in about three weeks."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next three weeks flew right by. Not a word was heard from any of Kaji's friends. Ozai got more and more impatient over time. Kaji had to reassure him that word would come – either from his friends or, alternately, a guard would mention what had happened to Ursa, since it was supposed to take place very publicly. There was no way a kidnapping and killing would not be news for the public-at-large.

After breakfast one morning, a group of four guards entered the area near the two adjacent cells.

"Kaji, it's your big day," said one of the guards. "You finally get to leave your cell."

"What?" Kaji remarked in a confused tone. "Am I being released?" he asked excitedly.

The guard didn't reply at first. But then he said, "No – actually, you've been sentenced to death for your crimes."

"But we are at war!" Kaji shouted.

"The war ended a year ago and you and your cohorts continued to kill people even after it ended," said the guard as he opened the cell. The four guards all rushed in and each one grabbed one of Kaji's limbs. As they expected, he was not going to go willingly.

Kaji scratched and grabbed at every passing orifice that he could find as he was carried out of the area. That was the last time Ozai ever saw Kaji – and he never did get word if the plan had worked.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Later that evening, back in the palace, a dinner was planned for Zuko's entire group of friends. He sent out a note earlier in the day requesting everyone to attend if at all possible. It wasn't going to be formal, but he wanted everyone there nonetheless.

One-by-one and two-by-two, people started arriving for the dinner.

"Anyone know what we're having?" Toph asked.

_Sniff_. "I don't know, but it smells wonderful," remarked Suki.

"Where's Sokka?" asked Katara as she entered the room.

"He's coming. He's been relaxing all day. Zuko made plans for a massage and a facial for him. He's been in the tub for over an hour. But I checked with him and he knows he needs to be here," said Suki.

Mai soon arrived without Zuko. "Boy that smells good," she said as she sat down at the table.

"Do you know what we're having?" asked Toph.

"I'm not sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say Komodo chicken and roast duck," said Mai. "At least that's what it smells like"

Sokka arrived and sat next to Suki. She leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips. "I've missed you," she whispered.

Soon everyone was there waiting for Zuko to arrive. About 10 minutes, he appeared at the doorway to the dining hall. Everyone turned to look his way. On his left arm was a beautiful woman whose gaze was aimed down at the floor.

"May I present to you…my mother…Ursa." She then looked up at everyone and smiled.


	26. Chapter 26

**4 weeks ago…**

Katara entered one of the sitting rooms of Zuko's palace. Zuko and Suki were already there talking.

"So how's the plan coming along?" she asked.

"I haven't heard from Sokka yet, but I'm sure we will soon. He took a bunch of paper in with him so he could send us any good information he might hear from Ozai," said Suki.

"What is his name again?" asked Katara.

"He's calling himself Kaji," replied Zuko. "He looked ok when I was in there two days ago. Hopefully my visit got their conversations moving in the right direction, just as he planned."

"I hope he'll be ok," said Suki. "I can't imagine being in a cold, dark prison cell for who knows how long and the only person you have to talk to is Ozai."

Katara leaned over and gave Suki a squeeze. "I'm sure he'll be ok," she said. "After all, he has had some prison acting experience already as you well know."

**3 ½ weeks ago…**

Zuko yelled down the hallway, "Hey Aang!" He jogged down to meet him.

"Hey Zuko," said Aang. "What's going on?"

"I just got Sokka's first note from prison," he replied.

"What does it say?" asked Aang.

"So far, it looks like he has convinced Ozai that he is a loyal follower, that he has committed many acts of murder in the name of the Fire Nation, that he's very angry that I'm Fire Lord, what the relationship between him and my mother was, that she had something to do with my grandfather's death, and that she considered me her pride and joy above all others."

"Is that all?" Aang asked sarcastically. Then on a serious note, "Well, it sounds like a good start, that's for sure. I'll tell the others when I see them."

**3 weeks ago…**

At the dinner table one evening, Zuko began reading another note from Sokka. "It appears that Sokka has convinced my father that he has a friend with him on the inside who is cooking for the prisoners. He is telling him that he can hurt me by having my mother harmed. Sokka says that if Ozai is as determined to hurt me as he thinks he is, he'll be sure to tell him where she is so he can send someone to kidnap her and kill her."

"Oh I get it," said Katara. "He's telling him he's going to kill her, but when he finds out where she is, we can go get her."

"That's what it sounds like to me," said Zuko.

"Sir, this just came for you…," said one of the staff of the palace as he handed the latest note to Zuko. Zuko unfolded it and read.

"It looks like she was forced to work at a factory near the town of Jang Hui," said Zuko.

"Jang Hui?" repeated Katara. She turned to face Aang. "That's the name of the floating village with the polluted river and the two-headed fish!"

"And she was working at the factory?" clarified Aang. "Katara and I destroyed that factory a few months before the war ended."

"Yes, that's what the note says. It says that the factory was destroyed, but that Ozai still believes her guards are loyal to him and will continue to keep her in the area," said Zuko.

"I guess that's it then," said Aang. "We know where we need to go. I'll start packing tonight and we'll leave tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"Ok," said Zuko in agreement.

Aang got up to leave the room, then a thought entered his mind. "So…who exactly is going?" he asked. "The less weight on Appa, the faster he'll be."

"I think it should be the three of us," Katara said pointing to Suki, Aang and herself. "I hate to say it Zuko, but if there are soldiers out there who are still loyal to your father, it may be better that you are not there."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," said Zuko. "Good point."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, the group of friends gathered once again for breakfast. They ate and said their good-byes, hoping that the trip would not be too long.

Zuko walked his three friends to Appa, who was already packed and ready to go.

"We'll find her Zuko, I promise," said Aang.

"If anyone can, it's the Avatar," he replied. Zuko gave Appa a couple of pats on the neck and he walked back into the palace.

"I can tell he's excited…and nervous," said Katara.

"I would want to come along if I were him," said Suki.

"But if he's recognized by the wrong people, it could derail the whole misson," said Katara.

_sigh_ "I know," said Suki. "But I'd still _want_ to go."

"Hey guys, wait a minute!" yelled Zuko as he jogged back out of the palace with a note in his hand. "I just got another note!"

"What's it say?" asked Aang.

"It says that if you do happen to run into any guards, and they are still loyal to my father, that the pass phrase is 'a phoenix is coming'."

"That's an interesting one," replied Aang, who obviously saw the humor in it. "But at least it isn't hard to remember. Thanks, Zuko. Yip-Yip!" With that, Appa left the ground. Zuko got smaller and smaller. The three friends saw Mai walk out of the palace and put her arm around him as he continued to wave good-bye.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It was a very long day for the travelers. Appa was able to pull off the long flight in just under one day – though they arrived outside of Jang Hui close to midnight. Appa landed in the same location that was familiar to Aang from before.

"We're here," said Aang. He turned to find both Katara and Suki sleeping in the back of Appa's saddle. Upon hearing the announcement, Katara stirred and reached her arms over her head to stretch.

"Where did you land?" asked Katara.

"The same place we stayed when we were here before," answered Aang. "I think it is close enough to the village and the factory so we can easily get there, but far enough away so that people don't know we have a giant flying bison with us."

The three friends made camp for the night.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning the three travelers dressed in their Fire Nation clothes – including a headband for Aang – and snuffed out the rest of the fire they had lit the night before.

"You stay here, boy," Aang told his lifelong friend. "We'll be back before you know it."

They headed towards the factory and the small town that stood behind it.

As they got closer, they saw that the factory was still destroyed.

"I guessed that it wouldn't be up and running. We destroyed it only a few months before the war ended. Even if they did start working on it again, they wouldn't have had time to get it completely fixed," said Aang.

"So where is she supposed to be again?" asked Suki.

"Sokka's note said that they kept her near the factory, probably in the town that housed the workers when it was still running," said Katara.

"Ok, let's go," said Aang.

They walked past the burnt out shell of a factory. "It's hard to believe we did all this damage," remarked Aang as they walked by.

Finally, they saw the town they were looking for.

"It looks deserted," said Suki. "I don't see anyone at all."

Aang closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. He opened them again and said, "There are a few people around here, but it is definitely not a crowded place."

"Where are they?" asked Katara.

Aang started walking down the street. "It seems to me that they – are – in - - - here," and with that he pointed to a doorway into one of the seemingly deserted buildings.

They entered the building, which ended up being more of a watering hole than anything else. There were a few souls inside, but no one really looked interested in the three young strangers who had just walked in.

Suki walked up to the counter.

"What can I do for you?" asked the person behind the counter.

"We are travelers looking for some food and drink," she responded.

"We ain't got very much anymore. But we do have some fish and seaweed if you like," said the man. "Ever since they cleaned that river, the food from has gotten a lot better."

Katara smiled to herself.

Aang stepped up. "So what happened here?" asked Aang innocently.

"It's a long story. Let's just say that river village down the way has a guardian, and she was none to happy with the factory polluting the river," said the clerk.

"Guardian? C'mon….," said Katara. "That sounds a little over the top."

"It sure does," the clerk continued. "But it's true! 18 months ago, the factory was chugging along just as it had over the last several years. Then, all of a sudden, there was an explosion and the factory was destroyed. When the soldiers confronted the villagers of Jang Hui, they were in turn confronted by their guardian – a river spirit called the Painted Lady. She attacked them and the factory has been like this ever since."

"So what happened to all the workers?" asked Suki.

"Most of them were just Fire Nation villagers desperate to make a living. When the factory shut down, they just left to find work somewhere else," said the clerk.

"But you said there were guards, too. Did _they_ leave? Who are these people?" Katara asked pointing at the people who were in the place with them.

"That's a good question," the clerk replied. "Most _did_ leave. But as you can see, some stayed. I'm not privy to military decisions or what orders were given, but for some reason, some of these guys stuck around. I'm not complaining though – they are almost the only business I get these days."

With that, Aang, Katara and Suki sat at a table near some of the guards.

Katara started the next conversation. "Y'know, it's really a shame to see this place like this. It looked like it had a lot of potential at one time."

"I'm not sure I believe the clerk's story about the Painted Lady though," said Suki. "Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me."

"Maybe they made it up so they didn't get in trouble for the factory exploding on their watch," said Aang.

That was enough to spark a man at the next table to interject himself into the conversation. A man in drab brown clothes – which once could have been considered a guard uniform if not for its lack of washing or maintenance – turned to face the three teens.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he said to them. "I wasn't in Jang Hui that day, but I have good friends who were. There was a spirit there – she attacked them with water and air. Nearly scared them out of their skins…hard to win against a spirit, y'know." His words ended in a mutter.

"Are you sure they weren't pulling your leg?" asked Aang.

"Quite sure," the guard continued. "They couldn't get out of this town fast enough. From the time they saw that spirit until the time they got their orders to leave, they practically cowered in their rooms the entire time."

"So if it was so scary, why are _you_ still here?" asked Suki.

The guard paused, carefully thinking over what he should say next.

"I wanted to go, but I had orders. Well, at the time I had orders. I'm really not sure what's going on now," he said.

"Ok, now I'm really confused," Katara said, carefully steering the conversation. "Back then, Phoenix King Ozai was in charge. Now it is that ingrate loser, Fire Lord Zuko. The war is over, and has been for nearly a year. Shouldn't your orders change with new leadership?"

The guard, having been isolated and confused for the better part of the last year, and hearing the negative vibes coming his way about the new Fire Lord, finally opened up to the young strangers.

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" he started. "But I was on a special assignment, one in which I was specially instructed not to do anything without a special pass phrase being used. But all that doesn't matter now…."

"You mean 'a phoenix is coming'?" said Aang.

"What? What did you say?" asked the guard.

"A phoenix is coming," repeated Aang.

"Oh, you've got to be _kidding_ me," the guard said as he slapped his forehead.

"That's the pass phrase, isn't it?" asked Katara.

"Yes," said the guard, sighing. "What can I do for you?" His tone now sounded a bit defeated and exhausted. _What is going on here?_ Aang asked himself.

"I tried. I really did. All the other guards who were on the mission gave up when the Phoenix King was defeated. I was by myself…I did the best I could," he explained. "I was…am loyal to Phoenix King Ozai."

"Yes, and we're here with a new set of instructions from him. Where is the woman?" asked Suki.

"You don't understand," he said. "When the factory fell, I kept her here. But she escaped her chains while I was sleeping only a few weeks ago. I have no idea where she is now. I was alone, you see….I couldn't do it alone!"

"Enough!" said Aang. "You've failed in your duty to Phoenix King Ozai. There is no reason for you to stay here anymore. Because of your failure, you are relieved of your duties. Go back to your family and start a new life. We have no more use for you in the military."

"Y-y-yes sir," the guard said in a very soft, low tone.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**1-2 weeks ago…**

The three teens returned to their campsite near Jang Hui. They spent the next nine days searching nearby villages and towns for Ursa. But they had very little luck. Each time, they would go into an inn or a bar and inquire if anyone had seen someone new, or someone who only stuck around for a short period of time who looked like Ursa. No one had – either that, or they covered for her quite well.

They went into Jang Hui after nine days to eat a nice dinner to help relieve some of their frustrations. Two of the three of them were recognized almost immediately and welcomed with open arms.

"How have you been?" they were asked over and over again. "Things have never been better here thanks to you!"

They went to an eating establishment overlooking the water in the direction of the factory.

"I can't believe we've come this far and now we can't find her," said Aang.

"We did get some information, didn't we?" said Suki.

"Well, we know she isn't being guarded anymore," said Aang.

"Maybe she's on her way back to the capital," said Katara hopefully. "She may even be there now for all we know."

"No, I don't think so," said Aang. "With all she's been through, she is bound to be very weak. She can't have any money, so she is dependent on the kindness of strangers. I'm sure she is dressed in rags. It isn't going to be easy to make her way to the capital from here. It took _us_ a day on Appa."

"But I bet you that's what she's doing," said Katara. "Maybe instead of visiting the local villages around here…."

"…and what local village haven't we been to in the last nine days?" Aang interjected.

"As I was saying, maybe we should head back to the capital city? We could go slow and stop island by island and look for her."

"That's a good idea, Katara," said Suki.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning," said Aang.

That night, as he lay there sleeping, Aang heard a voice.

"Aang. Aang, I need to talk to you," the voice said.

Aang, half-asleep, acknowledged the voice. "Ok, Roku. What do you need?"

"Meet me on my island tomorrow," said Roku.

"Ok. Roku….," and he trailed off back to sleep again.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"'Morning ladies!" said a chipper Aang the next day. He gave Katara a peck on the lips.

"Change of plan….well, minor change of plan," said Aang.

"What?" asked Katara.

"Roku wants me to go back to his island today," said Aang.

"What for?" asked Suki.

"I'm not sure. He really didn't say," said Aang. "But I haven't heard from Roku in so long, I'm sure it's important."

The three friends ate breakfast, packed up Appa, and took off for Roku's island, which actually wasn't that far away. They would end up passing Ember Island and Shu Jing on the way, but they planned to double back and search those two places for Ursa after the meeting with Roku ended.

After only a few hours, they were again on the black rock of Roku's Island.

"Wow, this place is really desolate, isn't it?" said Suki.

"Roku told us to come here last year so he could better connect with Aang. We heard the story of the island. It erupted and buried Roku's entire village underneath the lava – and killed Roku in the process," said Katara.

Aang trailed off from the two girls. He picked the most comfortable looking spot (if you could call any spot on the black rock 'comfortable') and started to meditate. It didn't take much time at all for his arrows to start glowing.

In only a few minutes, Aang broke out of his meditation. He flew right up to his feet and ran to the girls. "We've got to go," he said hurriedly.

"We're leaving the island? We just got…" asked Katara.

"No. You don't understand. Ursa is _here_, on this island," he said. "We need to find her. She's very sick. Roku called me here because _she_ is here. She came to his island via a fishing vessel. She jumped overboard when she recognized the island. She's been here a few days with no food asking him for his help."

"Why would she even know that this is _his_ island?" asked Suki. "That's kind of strange that she would know so much about a long-dead Avatar, isn't it?"

"Because she is his granddaughter," replied Aang.

The group split up and headed in three different directions. Katara headed east around the coastline. Suki headed west. Aang took Appa to get a bird's eye view of all the other areas including the slopes of the now-sleeping volcano.

Aang flew to Katara and Suki and picked them both up on Appa. He had spotted Ursa in the very location where the village once stood. The three friends landed near her. She was in a sitting position, leaning up against a protruding black rock. Her eyes were closed.

"Ursa?" Katara approached her and gently spoke her name. She certainly did not want to frighten her, especially since she would not have known who they were.

Katara turned her head and shouted at Aang and Suki, "She's out-cold!"

Katara took some water our of her pouch and began working on Ursa. She concentrated on her chi pathways looking for any injury or illness that may be blocking them. By the time she opened her eyes again, both Aang and Suki were standing over her.

"She's not sick or injured," said Katara. "She's just very weak. She needs food and water as soon as possible."

Aang jumped back into Appa's saddle and grabbed some of the fresh water they had stashed away while they were traveling. He also grabbed a few pieces of fruit.

"Oh, that's great, Aang. Fruit should be fine – if we gave her anything heavier, it may not stay down," said Katara.

They slowly tried to get some of the sustenance into her. It was difficult at first since she was completely out, but as the food and water started to register with her body, Ursa became more and more awake.

"Th-thank you," she whispered to the trio as she took another sip of water.

Aang bended some rocks around the group. The hot summer sun was blazing down on all of them and the sun wasn't doing any of them any good. He did keep both the front and back of the rock tent open to let in any breeze from the ocean. They spent hours in the rock tent caring for Zuko's mother.

By nightfall, Ursa was sitting up on her own. She was still extremely weak and needed support from her rescuers, but she was a lot better than she was when they found her. They decided that this was where they would camp out for the night – there was no sense in moving anywhere until the morning sun started to shine.

OlOlOlOlOlO

In the morning, they carefully moved Ursa from her rock tent to Appa's saddle. They moved her as gently as they could – she was in no state to be able to help with any of her own weight just yet.

"Yip-yip!" Aang called out and they were off to the Fire Nation capital again.

"Thank you again, Avatar," Ursa lightly spoke.

"I guess you figured out who I was by my bending and my arrows, huh," Aang replied.

"I've heard many stories over the past two years about you," said Ursa. "I may have been holed up in that factory, but even the guards couldn't help but gossip about what was happening in the rest of the world. If I had to guess, I would say this is Master Katara, the waterbender." She turned her head to look at Katara.

"…and this is Suki, from Kyoshi Island," said Katara.

"Ah, the mighty Suki, head of the Kyoshi warriors," said Ursa.

"So you know all of us," said Aang.

"Yes, I know you by name. I heard all the stories about the fall of Ozai and who was responsible," said Ursa. "I also know you are friends with my son. Are you taking me to him?"

"Yes, we are," said Aang. "He sent us to find you."

Ursa closed her eyes and smiled. She looked very content for all that she had just been through.

Aang popped back up onto Appa's head while Katara and Suki kept a watch on Ursa.

"How did you find me?" she asked the girls.

"It was Roku," said Katara. "He called Aang to his island. He told him you were there."

"I was afraid," Ursa said. "I escaped from the factory town a few weeks ago, but since then I've had to duck and hide. I didn't know the world anymore – who was on Ozai's side or not. I thought that if I went to Roku's island I could somehow ask him for help. I told a fisherman that I wanted to go west. When I saw the island, I jumped overboard and swam. That was a few days ago…"

"He heard you," said Suki. "You're safe now."

"I haven't felt safe for years. I can't believe my ordeal is over," said Ursa.

They landed in the usual place next to the palace. It was around dinner time. It only took a few minutes for word to reach Zuko that Appa had returned, presumably with the three people who were off to find his mother. He ran to Appa and looked up.

"We have her," said Aang.

Tears started to stream down Zuko's face. He climbed up Appa to reach the saddle. There she was, still in a mostly prone position.

"She's in rough shape, Zuko. But she'll be fine," said Katara.

He hugged her. "Mom" was all he could say.


	27. Chapter 27

**Back to the Present Day….**

No one had seen Ursa for a few days following her arrival at the palace. Come to think of it, Zuko had not been around very much either. Most of the group figured that he was probably making up for lost time, spending his time at her bedside as she recovered and got her strength back. She was probably telling him stories about her life over the last 8 years. Zuko was probably doing the same about his life. And no one could blame either one of them.

Ursa re-emerged on Zuko's arm at dinner that night when he reintroduced her to his friends. She looked totally different. In just a few days, she wasn't quite as pale. She didn't even look quite as thin as she did when they found her. She certainly wasn't as dirty – or dressed in rags anymore.

"She's quite stunning," whispered Katara to Aang.

Ursa left Zuko and approached Sokka. Seeing she was headed for him, he got up from his chair and bowed to her. She lifted up his face so he was looking at her and she kissed him on the forehead. "I understand that it was you who got the information that freed me. Thank you."

OlOlOlOlOlO

**11 months ASC**

The palace was full of a joy that had not been present for years and years. It was probably not since both Zuko and Azula were very small that such happiness was present.

Ursa was recovering quickly. She was a beautiful, yet resilient woman. Her body did show some wear and tear from all those years of hot factory work. Now that she was back in the palace, Zuko pampered her constantly and would not let her lift a finger. She was not the type to let this go on forever, but for now, she was enjoying the fact that she didn't have to do anything.

While he was gone, Aang had received a scroll from the Northern Air Temple.

_Aang,_

_Of course we will help you with your remodel of the Eastern Air Temple. I have the correct maps and will make my way there over the next couple of weeks. As much as I love the Northern Air Temple, it will be a good opportunity to travel through the Earth Kingdom and take in some sights. This is something I could not do while the war was raging. I will see if anyone here would like to join me, otherwise, it will be Teo and myself. He very much looks forward to seeing you again. _

_The Mechanist_

After reading the scroll, he turned to Katara. "This was sent almost immediately after we left the palace to find Ursa."

"That means he should be there shortly," she replied.

"I need to meet him and talk about the renovations," said Aang.

"When are we leaving?" asked Katara.

"Tomorrow," he replied.

He then prepared a scroll:

_Haruko and Deshi,_

_I have gotten word that my friend who has renovated the Northern Air Temple will soon be traveling east at my request. He will lend me his talents to fix and upgrade the Eastern Air Temple. It will be a long process, but thankfully, there are only a handful of airbenders and their families who will need accommodations quickly. _

_I am currently at the Fire Nation palace. I am planning to fly to the Eastern Air Temple tomorrow to wait for my friend and talk to him before work begins. I must then return to the Fire Nation for Fire Lord Zuko's wedding, but will plan to fly to Qi Cun after that to move everyone to the temple. I expect this will occur in approximately five weeks time. Please pass along this news to all who are affected. _

_If you need to contact me for any reason, please send a message to the Fire Nation palace._

_Aang_

OlOlOlOlOlO

It took Aang and Katara nearly four days to reach the Eastern Air Temple on Appa. When they got there, the place looked abandoned. No one rushed to meet them.

Even as a few hours drifted by, there was no activity to speak of. "I guess Guru Pathik ended up leaving after all," remarked Aang.

Aang walked the grounds where he thought the remodeling should begin and began making a mental plan of the rooms and areas that needed highest priority. _Living accommodations, practice area, dining area, school room…and it would be nice to have a few other areas for the non-airbenders to gather._

He and Katara stayed in the same room as they had when they last visited almost a year ago. They awoke the next morning and ate some of the food that they had brought with them. With scroll in hand, Aang headed back up to what he thought would be the logical starting point for any renovations. He stood there and made a list of things that would be needed, the order that the work would commence in, and he sketched several lay-outs as he thought of them.

As he stood there concentrating on what was in front of him, he felt a shove come from behind. _Oof!_

"Aang, I didn't see you there!" said The Mechanist. He had been doing something very similar to Aang – writing down plans and making sketches – when he backed right into him.

"When did you get here?" asked Aang.

"I just did. Literally came over the edge over there and was so excited by this," he said as he spread his arms wide looking at the crumbling temple. "It's like a blank canvas to an artist. There are so many possibilities!"

"Where's Teo?" asked Aang.

"Oh, he's coming. He and a few others are a couple of days behind me. I wanted to get here as fast as possible to get to work!" said The Mechanist.

"I thought you wanted to sight-see in the Earth Kingdom?" said Aang.

"I know. I thought I would. That's where Teo and the others are – taking their time so they could see some of the sights. But I was just too excited by the prospect of renovating this temple, I had to get here as fast as I could."

Aang smiled and shook his head a couple of times. _Typical Mechanist_, he thought.

Over the next few days, The Mechanist and Aang made plans as to what needed to be accomplished. Katara, knowing that this was Aang's personal passion, sat back and let him make the decisions about the project that was so close to his heart. She only intervened with an opinion when she was asked.

Aang and Katara wanted to get back to the Fire Nation to prepare for the upcoming wedding. After all the plans had been made, Aang left things to The Mechanist to get things started. He would have help very shortly when the rest of the Northern Air Temple travelers arrived.

"Don't forget," Aang reminded him, "when I return, it will be with the families. I'm going right to Qi Cun when the wedding festivities are over."

"Not a problem," replied The Mechanist. "We'll work on the lodging areas first. Then when they get here, they can lend a hand to the common areas."

OlOlOlOlOlO

It had been two weeks since Aang and Katara left the Fire Nation. Now they were back at the palace once again.

"Thanks Appa," said Aang patting his best friend. "That was a lot of flying for such a short trip."

Aang and Katara headed to the kitchen of the palace. They were hungry and wanted to see if there was any food around that they could pick at before dinner that night. When they got there, they were surprised to find Zuko in there alone.

"Hey Zuko, we're back," said Katara.

He looked up. His face was very stoic. "Good to see you had a safe trip," he replied.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked.

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm probably just taking this too seriously," he replied.

"What? What's going on?" she prodded.

"It's my mother. She found out about the conditions we have to keep Azula in and she's pushing for a change," he said.

"You're kidding, right?" commented Aang.

"No. I wish I were," Zuko said. "She knows the stories about what Azula did and what she was like these past few years, but she still thinks that she can be rehabilitated. She's willing to take a risk on her."

"Wow," said Aang. "I guess you'll have to deal with the 'issue' now, huh, Zuko?"

"Yup. No more putting it off," Zuko replied. "My main concern though is that unlike my father, Azula can still firebend. Any leeway we give her may be dangerous."

"Can you put this off until after the wedding?" asked Katara. "I know it may sound a bit heartless to your mother, but this is supposed to be _your_ time. You are getting married in a couple weeks for spirits sake!"

"I can ask," replied Zuko. "I'm sure she'll want to visit her though. That, I can live with."

With that, he left the kitchen.

"All this stress _now_," said Katara.

"Well, you've got to see it from her point-of-view. Your only daughter is in a prison cell – not only that, but a chilled prison cell – chained up from now 'til who knows when. What would you do?" asked Aang.

"I guess you're right. I just hope whatever Ursa pushes for is the right choice. She never saw Azula in all her evilness before the war ended," Katara said.

OlOlOlOlOlO

"But I want to go with you guys," said Toph to Sokka.

"Sorry, Toph," he replied. "This one is just for us guys. It's a combination bachelor-birthday party."

"Mai's celebrating her birthday with the girls tonight, too," said Aang.

"I know, but your party is going to be so much more fun than Mai's," said Toph.

"It's final, Toph. Deal with it," said Sokka.

The wedding date was coming fast at the gang. Preparations were being made in and around the palace. Trellises, ribbon, flower wreaths, vases…all the fun "extra" stuff that made a wedding a wedding was being attended to by the palace staff in their extra time.

Robe and dress fittings were well underway. Vows were being written. But of all the things that _had_ to be done, the most looked forward to by everyone was probably the parties. Both Zuko and Mai had birthdays around this time of year. Zuko's had already passed and he was now 18 – but since everyone was off working on locating and retrieving Ursa, the celebration had to wait. Mai's birthday was in a few weeks – just after the wedding. So everyone decided to combine both the wedding and birthday parties for both the bride and groom.

Unfortuately for Toph, the split was by gender. Although most of the group was better friends with Zuko than with Mai, the traditional party lines were drawn. Each set of friends was absolutely determined to give their respective 'target' the best pre-wedding party possible.

Ty Lee and several of the Kyoshi warriors arrived from Kyoshi Island that afternoon. Fei Yen, representing the Earth Kingdom in the place of her husband, arrived the evening before.

Ty Lee, of course, was Mai's maid of honor for the wedding.

Kuei was unable to make the wedding due to urgent Earth Kingdom business, but Uncle Iroh did arrive in time for Zuko's party. Piandao, Zuko's most trusted advisor, was also coming. They would join the festivities in addition to Sokka and Aang.

The ladies met outside the palace's grand front door in the early afternoon. Suki took the lead and took the ladies into the nearby capital city. Stop one was a spa for a full complement of services including mud baths, massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials. The spa had agreed to close down to all but Mai's group so that they had enough space and workers to accommodate the ten or so ladies who were enjoying the day.

After a few hours, the ladies arrived at stop two – a fancy restaurant in the center of town. The girls were treated to best food in all the Fire Nation.

The guys decided to head out to the countryside to take in some ostrich-horse races. While there, they also participated in a few board and card games that were going on at the racing venue. Of course, Iroh ended up winning some money at Pai Sho. They ended up eating their dinner there as Zuko was not interested in any sort of fancy meal. He was having too much fun betting on the races to leave for some fancy-schamcy restaurant. The best part of the day was at the end when the announcer asked for Zuko, Sokka, Aang, and Iroh to come forth to the track. They were put on ostrich-horses and raced each other for a small stretch of the track. Aang won, but was immediately accused of fixing the race with a little airbending action to help the ostrich-horse go faster. An accusation he didn't deny - it was all in fun after all.

After their fancy dinner, the ladies headed back to the palace.

"Ok, Mai, now we've got one final surprise for you," said Suki. "You need to wear this." She showed Mai a blindfold.

"What? Oh come on you guys," Mai said in her usual drone.

"We're going to end today on a high note," threw in Ty Lee. She grabbed the blindfold from Suki and proceeded to tie it around Mai's eyes.

Katara held her finger up to her lip to signal the other ladies that it was time to be quiet. They walked Mai into another room.

The guys arrived back at the palace a little later.

"Zuko, we've got a surprise for you back at the palace," Sokka said. "You'll have to put this on though." Iroh then put a blindfold on him.

"You didn't get any girls did you?" Zuko asked. "Mai's not the sort to put up with that if she finds out."

"Maybe we did, and maybe we didn't," said Iroh.

"We'll take the heat for it, don't worry," said Sokka.

With that, they walked him into the palace. Not a word was said as they walked.

A few minutes later, Katara stood behind Mai and Sokka stood behind Zuko. One – two – three! And the blindfolds were taken off as the two teens stood there and faced each other.

"Surprise!" the entire room shouted.

"What is all this?" said Zuko as he turned to his Uncle.

"It was Aang's idea. We're going to have a dance party!" said Iroh.

"You Fire Nation types have been deprived so long, I thought it would be a great time to end with a night of dancing. I didn't think it would be as much fun for just guys or just girls to attend, so we combined our efforts and we're going to dance the night away!" said Aang.

Mai broke with her usual frown and let out a small smile. "You look like you approve, Mai," said Suki.

"Who are all these people?" she asked.

"Oh, we invited a lot of people. The more the better for a dance party," said Katara. "Some are the staff from the palace. Some are just friends we met before the war ended. Others knew you or Zuko while you were growing up."

"How did you guys plan all this if we were with you all day?" asked Zuko.

"You can thank them," Iroh said as he opened his hand towards three people standing against the wall. It was Ursa, and Mai's parents. "They handled the entire set-up while we were gone."

Mai and Zuko walked up to their respective parents and gave them hugs and kisses as thank yous.

With that, they ran onto the dance floor and joined their friends to dance the night away.

Aang introduced some of his previous classmates – including Shoji and On Ji – to his lifelong friends, including Fire Lord Zuko. They were in awe not having known that not only was their school friend the Avatar, but that they were now being introduced face-to-face to the new leader of their nation. They always wondered what happened to their friend, 'Kuzon', and now they knew the story.

Before night turned into early morning, Katara noted that Fei Yen was not dancing very much at all. She wasn't sure if something was wrong, or if it was just because the love of her life wasn't here to join in the festivities. She decided to find out.

"Fei Yen, is everything ok?" Katara asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "I think I may be coming down with a stomach bug. I'm tired and my stomach has been a little upset these past few days."

"Do you want me to check you?" Katara asked.

Fei Yen hesitated. "Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want to take you away from the party."

"Don't be silly," Katara said. "It's never a problem for a friend."

The two girls headed towards the bedroom where Aang and Katara were staying.

"Just lay down on your back and close your eyes," instructed Katara.

Katara grabbed some water and examined Fei Yen's body for illness.

"Hmmmm….," she let out. "You definitely have an issue here," she said as she pointed just below her belly button.

"Am I going to be ok?" Fei Yen asked, sounding a bit worried about Katara's sudden cryptic nature.

"You're pregnant!" Katara blurted out. "Just barely though. Only a few weeks along."

Fei Yen just stared at her for a moment. "Pr-pregnant?" she repeated.

"That's wonderful news, isn't it?" Katara asked her.

"Yes, that is fantastic news," said Fei Yen. "I'm sorry for my reaction. I'm in shock – we haven't been married that long. It just seems so...quick!"

"It only takes once," said Katara. "And I'm sure as two virgins getting married only a few months ago, you guys have probably been busy."

Fei Yen blushed a bit.

"I don't hear any denials," noted Katara.

"You're right, of course," said Fei Yen. "Let's get back to the party before you _really_ embarrass me."

The two girls walked back to the dance party. Aang ran up to Katara. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Better than ok," Katara said. "Fei Yen's pregnant."

"No…., you're kidding!" Aang said. "That's great news! I'll have to send a note of congratulations to Kuei."

"Better wait a few weeks," Katara said. "He doesn't even know yet and I'm sure a messenger hawk flies faster than Fei Yen will be getting back to Ba Sing Se."


	28. Chapter 28

**1 year ASC**

Mai and Zuko's wedding day was almost exactly one year after the Battle of Wulong Forest.

Katara and Aang cuddled in bed before beginning their day.

"I can't believe all that has happened in the last year," Katara said. "We've met so many people and visited so many places. And we found airbenders!"

"Yeah, and we did it all without having to look over our shoulders for the local firebender to try to capture us or kill us," said Aang. "Zuko has been Fire Lord almost a year now."

"I guess we've been together about a year now, too," realized Katara.

"Since 'the kiss'? Yeah, it's been a about a year," confirmed Aang. "Look how much further we are than kissing now…" he said as he started to nuzzle at her neck.

"Oh Aang, behave yourself!"

"What?" he said in a playful tone.

"I can't wait until we are settled down," Katara remarked.

"You forget, I'm a _nomad_," said Aang. "Who said anything about settling down?"

"Oh, you will. Once you starting training the airbenders, you'll have to stay in one place for the most part," said Katara. 

Aang pondered Katara's statement for a second. "You're right, I will have to stay put for a little while – while I'm training airbenders. Oh, and when we have kids, too!"

"Kids? Who said anything about _kids_? You are way ahead of yourself, _Avatar,_" remarked Katara. She hit him with a pillow.

"I know, I know. I'm just messing around," he said. "We're still too young for all that. We'll concentrate on marriage first….then kids."

"Sounds like a plan," she replied. "I know we'll have lots of kids someday…"

"Our own little airbender," he lovingly said as he rubbed her stomach.

"Who says airbender? She could be a waterbender," said Katara.

"She? You mean 'he' don't you?" Aang shot back.

She grinned and grabbed both his wrists and pinned him to the bed and climbed on top.

"I love it when you are frisky," he said.

"She bent down and gave him a deep kiss. She let go of his hands and they slowly came down to the small of her back. She could feel his excitement growing.

"Nope, let's not let this get out of control," Katara said as she hopped up. "It's Zuko and Mai's wedding day. We've got to get moving. It's not about us today."

"You're right," said Aang as he put on his playful childish pouty face.

They got up and got ready for the big day. As they were leaving their room, they embraced and kissed passionately. "It's going to be a day full of love," remarked Katara. "You think you can wait for me until tonight?"

"I don't know," he said. "Seeing you in those fancy clothes…I may not be able to help myself," Aang replied.

Both walked away thinking the same thing…._tonight just might be the night_. _I hope so_.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Zuko and Mai took a cue from Kuei and Fei Yen's wedding day. When they first discussed the fact that the Fire Lord and his bride were going to get married, it was going to be a big state affair. However, after seeing how intimate and lovely Kuei and Fei Yen's wedding was, they second guessed themselves.

The day was going to start with the ceremony. Only the closest of friends and family would be invited to the turtle duck pond – Zuko's favorite place on the palace grounds. There, they would exchange their vows to love each other forever. This would be followed by tea and hors d'oeuvres in the great hall for all well-wishers. After a late afternoon break, the formal dinner and reception would be held in the ballroom.

Aang wandered over to Zuko's bedroom in the palace. He was just getting dressed. Iroh and Sokka were already inside helping out.

"Uncle, can you hand me my socks?" he asked.

Aang looked at the fancy robe Zuko had made for his wedding day. It very much looked like something a Fire Lord would get married in. It was mostly black, but had red and gold highlights on it.

_Knock-knock_.

"Yes?" Zuko asked.

"Sir, I've come to prepare you for your wedding," said the voice behind the door.

"Very well," Zuko replied.

In walked a young man carrying a case.

"What's all this, Zuko?" Sokka asked.

"We have people who we can call who will do our nails and our hair…"

Sokka snickered. "You're kidding, right?"

"Sokka, this is serious. It's my wedding day. I don't use these guys as much as I did growing up. I never knew it was such a luxury. But _today_ I want to look and feel my best," replied Zuko.

"Ok, ok," Sokka replied.

When Zuko was done with hair and nails, he asked Sokka if he wanted the same.

"Oh no….not me," was Sokka's reply as if it was too girly for any man to participate in.

Zuko stepped into his washroom to use the bathroom. When he walked back in, Sokka had taken Zuko's place in the chair and was getting his nails buffed.

"Changed my mind," Sokka said.

"And I can see you are absolutely hating this experience," Zuko said sarcastically.

"Hey, what can you say? I have an open mind to new experiences," Sokka retorted.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Mai and her bridesmaids were at her house near the palace getting ready. Her dress was mostly white, but had highlights of black, gold and red in different places. A gold tiara adorned her head and her hair was done differently than normal.

After Mai was completely ready, Katara stepped away from the bride to take in her entire sight. She nodded to herself. _Beautiful_, she thought.

"Mai, you're gorgeous. I must say that your aura is actually approaching red today instead of its dingy brown and gray color," said Ty Lee.

Suki turned to Katara and covered her mouth with her hand. "What exactly does that mean?" she asked.

Ty Lee heard and announced, "Well, among other things, it means she's excited!"

Mai smiled in agreement. She definitely was excited about today.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Everyone except the bride and groom, their parents, and Uncle Iroh gathered at the turtle duck pond. A gazebo had been erected near the pond for the ceremony. Each of the attendants took their places on the respective sides of the gallery. The music that was playing was provided by two musicians – one on a zheng, the other on a flute.

In the distance, Zuko approached – Ursa was on one arm, and Uncle Iroh was on the other. In front of the gazebo, Ursa sat down in the front row while Uncle Iroh remained standing with the rest of the groomsmen.

When Zuko was finished with his procession, Mai and her parents appeared in the distance. She, too, took her place at the gazebo. Zuko kissed her on the cheek and held her hands.

A fire sage conducted the ceremony, which lasted close to a half hour. The sun shone down on this late summer day and all was well in the world while it was happening. The air was thick with feelings of love and happiness. Nothing could ruin this day.

Zuko and Mai sealed the ceremony with a loving and passionate kiss, which was followed by cheering and clapping from those who had the pleasure to attend the ceremony.

The recession headed right for the palace and the meet and greet that had been scheduled. Mai and Zuko walked into the great hall to cheers and applause. An announcement soon came announcing the entrance of the Fire Lord and his new Fire Lady. For the next couple of hours, they flittered from grouping to grouping saying their 'hellos' and 'how are yous.'

Zuko took a small break and nudged in with Aang and Sokka at one point.

"I've determined that this is _not_ my favorite part of getting married," Zuko told his friends.

"The ceremony was lovely," replied Aang.

"Yes, it was," Zuko replied. "That part I liked. This going around socializing with people I hardly know, I don't."

"Ah, the responsibilities of being Fire Lord," Sokka noted.

"Ok, off I go again," said Zuko as he left his friends to go find Mai again and continue his official rounds.

When the early afternoon great hall gathering was concluding, both Zuko and Mai's friends took them to a sitting room located near Zuko's bedroom. This was the part of the palace that truly belonged to the family living there – not to the public at large. This was their true personal space where no one could go uninvited.

"Still looking good Mai," said Katara.

"I'm exhausted!" Mai said as she plopped down next to Zuko on a couch. He put his arm around her and brought her close so he could kiss her temple.

"Well, one more big event, then we're done for the day," said Suki. "I think the formal reception will be so much better than this afternoon was. Now that you've greeted everyone, you only have to worry about having fun and spending time with yourselves and your friends."

Aang poured Zuko and Mai some tea. The gang rested and chatted.

Before they knew it, it was time for the formal reception. One-by-one the attendants names were called. Each one received a round of applause as they marched to the main table in the front of the ballroom. Finally, Zuko and Mai entered looking as lovely as ever. Both of them radiated such positive energy that there was not a face in the entire room that wasn't smiling from ear to ear.

The food was the first order of business. Many of the dignitaries brought specialties from their areas of the world as gifts of congratulations for the bride and groom. The dinner was a virtual smorgasbord of all the cultures of the world. It definitely befitted the occasion and the guest list.

After dinner, a troupe of firebenders came to the center floor to perform a spectacular show of their talents.

Then the dancing started with a solo slow dance between the new husband and wife. Soon, everyone joined in. Even Iroh asked his good friend Toph if she'd give him the honor of dancing with him.

The night went off without a hitch. Everyone had a great time. Zuko and Mai mainly celebrated with their good friends, but the multitudes of people who attended made the occasion more festive and fun.

After hours and hours of celebration, Zuko and Mai announced to their guests that they would be leaving for the evening. Tomorrow morning, they would be heading to Ember Island for their honeymoon. Over the last year, Zuko had hired local Ember Island contractors to rebuild his family's beach house on the island. He hadn't seen it yet, but it was supposed to be spectacular. He and Mai would be spending then next two weeks there.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara walked back to their room when the party had all but died down.

"I wonder what the bride and groom are doing right now," asked Aang.

"As if you didn't know," Katara answered.

"Well, it's not like they hadn't done it before," said Aang.

"Yeah, but it's their _wedding_ _night_," remarked Katara. "I'm sure it will still have some special significance to them."

"I guess so," said Aang.

A pause ensued.

"I wonder how many times they've done it before," Aang asked, almost rhetorically.

"Why do you care?" Katara asked.

"I want our wedding night to be special," he replied.

"Wedding days are not about sex…," she started.

"Wedding nights are," he responded. "Katara, I want to do the _right_ thing."

She giggled.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked.

"You think too much. Remember what you said before? We'll know when it's right," Katara said. "Do you honestly think Zuko and Mai aren't enjoying themselves just because they've done it before?"

"I think that Kuei and Fei Yen probably had a more meaningful night," he countered.

"I don't know what to tell you Aang. It's up to each couple what they want to do. For me, a wedding is going to be a ceremony that is scheduled for a random day in my life – its not going to change anything about how I feel about you. I don't think I could feel any stronger for you than I do right now. Our love has only grown over this past year and I'd like to be able to express it fully to you – if and when you are ready."

"I have an idea," he said as he ran out of the room.

"Aang - ," she began, but he was already gone.


	29. Chapter 29

Aang re-emerged a few minutes later. He rummaged through a few drawers and threw some random things into a bag. He grabbed Katara's hand and pulled her out of the room.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied.

He took her outside the palace, specifically to Appa who was waiting for them right outside the door to the stable.

"Yip-yip!" Aang said to his lifelong friend, and off they went.

"Aang, where are we going?" Katara asked.

"You'll see. For now, here's a blanket. It's the middle of the night. Get some rest. We'll be there in a few hours."

OlOlOlOlOlO

It was still pitch-black when they landed. Katara lay sleeping in Appa's saddle. Aang got up and scurried about for bit, all the while, letting his soulmate sleep.

When she finally opened her eyes, the sun was just peaking over the mountains. She rubbed her eyes and lifted her arms up to stretch.

"Come with me," he said.

She climbed down off Appa. "Aang, are we at the Southern Air Temple?" Katara asked.

"Yes, we are _home_," he replied.

"What - ?" she started her next question.

"Come with me," he said again as he grabbed her hand and led her inside the temple. He took her through a few rooms and down some staircases. Then they finally arrived at Aang's intended destination.

"I know this is going to sound silly to you, and I'm not really sure how the Air Nomads _exactly_ did this 100 years ago. So I'm shooting from the hip a little bit here," he said.

The room they entered was a prayer room. Even with the dim light coming in from the outside sunrise, Katara could see there were statues and dried up fountains inside. A few jewels seemed to adorn the walls. There were a ton of cobwebs hanging from just about everything, as if no one had been here for a hundred years.

"Close your eyes," Aang commanded. Katara did as she was asked. She heard Aang airbend, waterbend, and firebend in quick succession.

"Ok, open them," he said.

When she opened her eyes, it was like she was looking at a completely different room. Torches were lit so that she could see, the cobwebs had been blown away, and the fountains were now functioning.

He grabbed her hand and led her to the center of the now-beautiful room. He turned to her and faced her as he grabbed her second hand. He leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips.

"I realized something last night when we were talking," he started. "I've been thinking about us for a while now and what was the right thing for us."

"Sounds serious," she said in a bit of a joking manner.

But he wasn't joking. "Katara, Air Nomads do not get married – at least not like other nations. But then again, they never ventured outside of their own nation for a husband or wife either. From the time they were sixteen, they participated in the winter festival and often found their spiritual mates at that time. It was just a given that these two airbenders would be together as a couple for the rest of their lives – even though they would live at different temples."

He paused before continuing. He let go of one of her hands and placed it on her cheek. "I believe that you are already my spiritual mate. We are already destined to spend the rest of our lives together. In my mind, from an Air Nomad perspective, we are already married. It's already a done deal – in my culture, that is."

Katara's eyes opened a little wider at hearing Aang's thoughts.

"Married?" she replied. "Us?"

"Now, I'm not saying we don't have to make it official for your friends and family. We can still have a ceremony in a few years time and all that," he said. "And we don't even have to tell anyone. But I wanted to bring you here, to _my_ home, and to one of _my_ most sacred places to declare myself to you."

"You were right, you know," he continued. "Nothing is going to change for us. It's not like there is a sudden day of awakening and we will be _more_ in love with each other than we had been before. I love you more than anything in this world and we are both soulmates and bonded mates. I will spend the rest of my life with you and will spend every day trying to make you happy."

"Oh Aang, you already make me so happy!" she replied, with a tear running down her face. "I love you so much, it hurts sometimes. I can't imagine living my life without you, either."

With that he swooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the room. He took her through a few corridors and out to a beautiful open balcony that faced east. The sun was still very low in the sky - but beams of sunlight did successfully stream through the mountains. On the balcony was a baby blue blanket and a small round fluffy cushion, reminiscent of the koala sheep bed his friends had made for him the night before the day of black sun.

"This is it Katara. No more waiting," he said to her.

"Oh Aang, it's perfect," she replied.

"It's one of my favorite places in the entire Southern Air Temple," he said.

He gently placed her feet back onto the ground. He no longer had to reach up to kiss her; they were about the same height now. At just under the age of 14, he had reached his peak growing years and was definitely gaining on her as far as height went. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long passionate kiss.

The couple eventually kneeled down onto the cushion. The kissing never paused in the least as they started to undress one another. The pieces came off one by one and flew to all areas of the balcony. Pants, shirt, dress, socks, and undergarments – all tossed aside.

The rest of the night was one that was filled with passion between the teenagers. The deed had finally been done, and it was under their own terms in their own special location.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The lovers cleaned up the balcony and made it look like they had never been there that day. It had only been a few hours since they arrived at the Southern Air Temple, but they knew they couldn't be gone too long. This was an unscheduled trip after all, and a spontaneous one at that.

"Yip-yip!" Aang shouted and they were on their way.

Katara and Aang both leaned up against the back of Appa's saddle. Aang's arm was around her shoulder and her head leaned into him.

"I can't believe how perfect that was," she said.

"I don't have to worry about it not being memorable, that's for sure," Aang remarked.

They kissed.

"I can see why people don't want to stop doing it once they've started," Katara said. "I know this is a selfish thing to ask, but can we stay a few extra days at the palace before we head for Qi Cun?"

"I don't see why not," Aang replied knowing what Katara was really inferring. "But we should have a serious discussion now about a few things."

"You're getting serious on me?" she questioned.

"I think I have to," was his reply. "Katara, I meant what I said this morning – in the prayer room. I would be happy if we just lived our lives from here on out. But, that being said, I think your father, brother, and grandmother would want something a tad bit more formal."

"Yes, your point being? We know all this already," she answered.

"Katara, what if you get pregnant, and it's before the water tribe ceremony?" Aang asked. "After this morning, theoretically, you could be pregnant now."

"Hmmmm…," she thought. "Good point."

She thought for a moment. "So let's plan the ceremony then."

"You don't think it's too soon?" Aang asked.

"Well, it is a little earlier than I would have planned for, but I will be 16 in only a few months. That's the normal marrying age for a water tribe girl," she answered. "I'll send a scroll to my Gran and to Dad when we get back to the palace. But you have a job, too."

"I do?" he asked.

"Well, if we're doing things according to water tribe traditions, you had better start carving me a necklace," she said.

"I'll get right on it," he said.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Appa landed back in the Fire Nation just after dinner.

"Go have a rest, boy," Aang said. "You've been up a while."

Aang and Katara grabbed each others' hand and walked into the palace.

"Where _were_ you?" said Suki, who was the first person to see the two.

Aang and Katara looked at each not really knowing what to say. _Truth? Lie?_

No one said anything at first. Then Suki rushed forward and gave them both a big hug, "Awww, that's so great!"

"Wait. What's great?" asked Aang.

"It's written all over both of you," Suki replied. "Katara, I'll want some details later!" With that she turned and flittered away.

She stopped and turned, "Oh, but you'd better go get cleaned up….and act normal else Sokka might figure it out!"

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning at breakfast, there was a lot to talk about among the five remaining inner core of friends.

"Sokka," started Katara. "I wanted you to be the first to know. Aang and I are going to get married on my 16th birthday."

"Isn't that a little soon?" he asked. "He'll only be 14 then."

Suki stepped in for the couple, "Yeah, Sokka, but he's the _Avatar_. He may be young in age, but think about how much he's experienced over the last two years. I dare say he's probably more mature than you are."

"True," Sokka replied thoughtfully not even arguing that point.

"And we have been together for over a year now," added Katara.

"So we'll meet you in three months back home?" asked Sokka.

"Oh Sokka!" Katara yelled, giving her big brother a bear hug at his acceptance of the situation.

"What are you guys going to do until then?" asked Aang.

"I already made arrangements to head over to Shu Jing," replied Sokka. "Suki's coming with me. I think it is the logical next step for us. Suki has been missing her training, and I want to eventually be a master swordsman. We contacted Piandao and we're going to stay with him for a few months and train. He said we were welcome."

"Suki, you're going to learn sword fighting, too?" asked Katara.

"I'd like to," she replied. "And I can train Sokka more in the way of the fan while we're there, too."

"Maybe I'll see how much space rock is left and I can make a new space sword while I'm there," said Sokka.

"Well, you already know where we'll be. Qi Cun and then the Eastern Air Temple. But we'll be hanging around here a few more days," said Aang nonchalantly.

"I guess Zuko and Mai will just honeymoon then come back here," said Katara.

"That would be the logical guess," said Suki.

So everyone is accounted for except Toph.

Toph was sitting quietly at the end of the table. All eyes turned to her. "I've been thinking," she said. "There _is _somewhere I want to go, but it's something I have to do alone."

"Where, Toph?" asked Aang.

"If you don't mind, it's a little embarrassing, so I'd rather keep it to myself for now. I will see you in a few months down in Frostyville."


	30. Chapter 30

Over the next week, one-by-one (or two-by-two) the friends all departed the Fire Nation capital city and headed to their respective destinations.

Before they left, Aang and Katara did fulfill the age-old adage that for about the first week of their sexual lives, all they wanted to do was to be together – alone. Most people did notice their general absence, but not much was said about it so as not to alarm Sokka too much. Sokka was approving of the relationship, but no one wanted to talk about such things as his little sister's sex life for fear of his potential reaction.

Appa flew to Qi Cun over the course of a few days time. When they arrived, the villagers were quick to greet them. The town, which was standing, but still somewhat messy from the storm, looked much better today than when they had left.

In front of the inn, Haruko and Deshi met the two teens just as Appa landed.

"Aang and Katara, it's good to see you! We got your scroll and passed along the information as you asked," said Haruko.

"What is your plan, Avatar Aang?" asked Deshi.

"I think we'll want to stay one night for rest," Aang replied. "We'll leave for the Eastern Air Temple tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good. I'll pass the word along that you have arrived. I must say that Kochi is _very_ excited to begin his training with you there," said Deshi. "Oh, before I forget, the inn will now be run by our neighbors since we are leaving. You are free to stay in your usual rooms for tonight, but just so you know, we no longer are responsible for the building or the business. If you have questions, you must ask the _new_ owners."

"Understood," replied Aang with a nod.

Aang and Katara took a walk around Qi Cun both inside and outside the rock wall that had protected the town all these years.

The cemetery looked just as it had before the incident with Kotori. The villagers decided to raise the ground where Peng and Saura laid to rest and rebuild the stone building on the same exact spot. All the branches and flying debris which had made a mess of the place was now replaced by beautiful flowers all along the edges.

They headed back to the inn for dinner. They were surprised to see Kotori there, eating her dinner.

"Aang and Katara, how are you?" Kotori asked her. "Is it time for the big move?"

Aang and Katara looked at each other. _So this is what she's like when she likes you_, he thought to himself.

"Yes, it is. We're leaving tomorrow morning," said Aang.

"I can't wait to visit my ancestral home," she replied.

"A visit from you would be great!" replied Aang. "Like I said, I want the two villages to be linked – so everyone can feel free to visit either one at any time."

"I'm a little disappointed though," said Kotori. "As an airbender, I would have liked to have moved to the Eastern Air Temple myself. But my duty is still here to Qi Cun. I still need to make some much-needed changes."

"Like what?" asked Katara.

"Well, I am planning on eliminating the position of 'Keeper' for one. There's no need anymore. No more secrets. I'm going to keep the scrolls and journals in my home library and anyone is free to come see them at any time," she said. "Even those who are not airbenders or have no airbender relatives must be educated on our history so that if an airbender is born to them, they are aware of what that potentially means."

"Wow," was all Katara could muster. _What a change in such a short period of time._

"So you are going to educate on the history?" asked Aang.

"Exactly," said Kotori. "At this time, there is no greater calling to serve my village or my people."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, they left Qi Cun with all the essentials they would need for the long journey to the Eastern Air Temple. Although on Appa, the journey might take a day, with all these people, their belongings, and the need to have Appa airlift everyone a few times back and forth across various obstacles, Aang was sure the journey would last at least two weeks. But because of the _purpose_ of the journey, that wasn't an issue at all for Aang. It would give him time to get to know everyone a little bit better – especially those who he had not spent a lot of time with in Qi Cun.

The journey was a joyful one. Aang asked each airbender what they could do in terms of airbending. Each person had learned a little of this or that throughout their lives. Of course, the older airbenders knew a little more than the younger ones. Aang wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. A person who doesn't know a move can easily learn it right the first time whereas if a person has learned it the wrong way, they will need to be untaught and retaught, which can often be more difficult.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**13 months ASC**

The Qi Cun group finally approached the Eastern Air Temple after their weeks long journey across the Earth Kingdom. Appa made one final 'airlift' as he took people and their belongings – a few at a time – virtually straight up to the temple. There was a path from the bottom of the valley to the temple, but it was by no means an easy path to follow with all the stuff the travelers had brought with them.

Aang, in the meantime, flew on his glider to the temple to check-in with The Mechanist and see what he had accomplished in the month that had passed since he had seen him.

The first person that Aang spotted on the temple grounds was Teo.

"Teo!" he shouted as he ran over to him.

"Hey Aang!" Teo then waved. "Did you bring everyone?"

"Yeah. Appa's bringing them up now. It's going to take a little while though," Aang replied.

Teo led Aang inside the temple. "So what do you think?" he asked.

"It's almost as I imagined it," Aang replied. "You guys have done a great job!"

"Well, we're nowhere close to finishing. But we did tackle things in the logical order you recommended. The housing units for the new residents are completely done- plus a few more just in case. Now it's just a matter of improving and completing the common areas," said Teo.

"You guys sure have done great work!" said Aang. "How many came from the Northern Air Temple?"

"Dad and I plus five others," answered Teo.

"Well, once the Qi Cun villagers get up here and get comfortable in their new living spaces, I would imagine they are just that many more hands you'll have to help you. How long do you think you'll be staying?" asked Aang.

"Dad said something about one more month. He wants to get home again before winter hits," said Teo.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It took a few hours, but all the Qi Cun villagers eventually made it to the outside of the Eastern Air Temple. Aang removed Appa's saddle and let him rest after their long journey. The villagers put their belongings down and followed Aang around for a tour that took up most of the afternoon.

When they finally arrived at the living quarters, Aang examined each room and decided to circle everyone around to talk about living spaces.

"Ok everyone, this is where we'll be living from now on. We have four, what I'll call family groups, and two single boys. I can think of one of two ways of doing this. We can keep the family groups together, or if the kids are old enough, we can let them have their own room and keep the airbenders together so they can learn and practice as much as possible," said Aang.

"I think we'll probably need a mixture of the two," said Suwan, the airbender who was also a young mother. "You have some airbenders who are very young, and there are others, like Youfeng and myself who are a little older."

"Good point," remarked Aang.

"Here's what I think should happen," said Youfeng, Meifeng's father. "Meifeng and I can partner up and practice together. I'd like her to stay with her mother and I for the time being. You could put Suwan and her family near us and she can practice with us as well. That way, if Ping is busy, my wife and other daughters can help with little Huashang."

_Hmmm….so who would be left? _Aang then thought for a moment. "That's almost perfect. There would be three male airbenders left – Kochi, Tengfei, and Kanpu, though Kanpu is a little young…."

"I am not!" insisted Kanpu.

Aang smiled. He turned to face Kochi, Deshi and Haruko. "So have you decided if you'd like Kochi to live with you, or have him in more of a student's quarters?"

"Well, it's not like my parents aren't going to be running this place and be in my face if I live with them or not," said Kochi. "I think I'd like to room with Tengfei. That way we won't get under each other's feet quite as much."

"I'd like for you two to take care of Kanpu. I think it best that he stay with Deshi and Haruko for now, but as far as practice and teamwork, you guys need to take care of him. Ok?" said Aang.

"You got it," replied Kochi.

"So that's that," said Aang. "Go ahead and bring your belongings up to your rooms. Make yourselves at home and we'll meet again at breakfast tomorrow morning. Min, Haruko, can you come with me for a minute?"

The two ladies followed Aang back down a few levels and to the main common area of the temple. Aang walked into a room off of the main meeting area.

"Min, this is a perfect place for you to educate our young ones. You'll have six students to start with…," said Aang.

Min nodded and stepped forward so she could take a better look at the room.

Haruko and Aang walked out of the temple to the outside. They turned right and found a huge plot of land.

"Haruko, since you'll be responsible for a lot of the food that gets served here, let me first show you an excellent spot for a garden. Fruits, vegetables, nuts…all can be grown right here," said Aang. "I'm afraid you may not find much meat here, but we can make plans to change that if you choose to in the future. I'm afraid the Air Nomads were totally vegetarian so no accommodations were made for animals."

Haruko nodded and walked around the garden making plans in her head for the seeds she brought with her.

Aang went back upstairs to find Katara unpacking their few belongings into their new home.

"I can't believe this is _home_," she said to him. "I realize that no matter where we go, we'll always have a place to stay, but this space is _ours_ and no one can take it away from us."

He came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder.

"Well, you said you wanted to 'settle down'. I can't see that we're going anywhere for at least the next two months," he said.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**13-14 months ASC**

The new occupants of the Eastern Air Temple spent the next four weeks or so getting used to their new lives. Many, many topics were discussed and agreed upon. The routines of the residents were soon set.

They decided not to be 100% vegetarian. Aang took Appa and went to a nearby Earth Kingdom city and bought a large quantity of hens and goats. These would be the best start because not only would they supply eggs and milk, but in time, they could be used for meat as well. Deshi and Ping worked on building an area near the garden where these animals could be kept.

The new residents designed new uniforms and clothes. They wanted to wear traditional Air Nomad garb, but also wanted to signify that a change had happened since the old days of the old Air Nomads. Not every new Air Nomad would be an airbender as it was in the past. They had Earth Kingdom blood running through their veins as well. They wanted the new air temple and garb to reflect their new beginning, but reflect their old culture as well. Katara, Haruko, Min and Suwan all worked on the new designs. They sewed several samples and the residents chose those they thought would look the best and be the most comfortable. Aang also wanted the new student uniforms to be reflective of the new society as well.

Since the living quarters that were needed had been completed, the next areas to work on included the bath house, the dining area, the practice area, the landing pad, and the outdoor social areas. Aang was sure to include a large private practice area of his very own. Both he and Katara could practice their waterbending there, and he could use it to meditate as well. This would be _their_ space to do with what they wanted.

Appa was given the run of the sky bison stable as well as the run of the air temple, just as it had been when he grew up here. Momo, as much as he loved Aang and Katara, spent much of his time with Appa.

Aang spent those weeks scouting out every nook of the entire temple in his spare time. He was able to locate enough staffs for all six airbenders to use during their training. He even found another that, with some delicate fixes, was exactly like his old staff & glider combination. He liked the glider that The Mechanist had given him – and it had served its purpose well – but he was still partial to the original design and what it symbolized to him.

A month after the Qi Cun residents arrived, The Mechanist, Teo, and the five others from the Northern Air Temple bade the Eastern Air Temple and their inhabitants good-bye. The night before they left, a feast was prepared in their honor – to thank them for all their hard work. The Mechanist, Aang could tell, was more than happy to be working with what he had called his "blank canvas". _I wonder if he'll be bored when he returns_, thought Aang.

During the feast, a messenger hawk arrived for Aang. He walked away from the dining area and to a nearby balcony to read what the message said. Katara soon walked up behind him to see what the message said. When Aang noticed her presence, he quickly held what he had behind his back.

"Secrets?" she asked him.

"Y-yeah," he replied. "Not for long, I promise," Aang replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he replied. "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with any of our friends or anyone here. This one's all about me. But I don't want to tell you just yet."

Katara gave him a look that said _I don't like you keeping things from me_, but decided to go along with it – for now.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**14 months ASC**

One morning at breakfast, Aang decided to hold a meeting of all the residents of the Eastern Air Temple.

"I have finalized the training plan for all our airbenders and would like to begin the training tomorrow," Aang said.

All the airbenders' eyes lit up. _Finally_, thought Youfeng.

"I want to thank you all for what you have accomplished thus far in our effort to reestablish the Air Nomad nation. Not only have you moved a great distance from your home in Qi Cun, but you have been a big help in restoring this temple and making it a place where we can thrive in the future," he said. "After breakfast tomorrow, I'd like to hold the first training session in the practice field. We'll break for lunch. The afternoon will be split such that children can get their studies completed with Min, and everyone not in school can continue to work on the temple. After dinner will be open for anything you choose to do. We'll see how this general schedule works for everyone from here on out. I am always open to suggestions for changes."

With that, Aang sat down next to Katara.

"Very good, Avatar," she commented to him.

"Sometimes I get a little nervous talking to all these people. I know they are my friends, but I'm still only 14," he said. "After all, they don't _have_ to do anything I ask."

"Just think about everything they've done so far. They are just as committed as you to make this work," said Katara. "They respect you so much."

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, the airbenders met in the practice field for their first day of training.

"Good morning students," said Aang.

"Good morning, Avatar Aang," said the six pupils in return.

"On our journey here, I assessed each of you in terms of what airbending knowledge you already possessed. As a result of that assessment, I have decided that the easiest and smartest way to proceed is to start from the very beginning. The reason for this is that even though many of you know a few tricks and moves, many of you are not performing them correctly. I'd like to start at square one for everyone and teach he proper stances and forms. If you have more experience, you will advance through the 36 levels that much quicker. Then you will earn your arrows."

A hand went up. "Avatar Aang, are you using the same 36 levels of airbending that the monks taught you?" asked Meifeng.

"Yes, Meifeng," Aang answered. "The only difference is that I expect it will take some of you longer to achieve the title of Master since you are not in a completely educational environment as I was as a student. I have decided to teach the levels a few at a time. As I determine that you have mastered the set of levels you are currently working on, I will then introduce you to the next set."

Another hand was seen. "Avatar Aang, do we have to get arrows?" asked Suwan.

"I guess we never really discussed this. I'd prefer that if you proceed down this path of training, that you agree to get arrows when you achieve the rank of Master Airbender. It is not only a culturally significant accomplishment, but also signifies that you are a proud airbender. I will gladly compromise on one aspect though….if you don't want to shave your head, you don't have to. But that being said, you may find that you'll want to. Having a traditional Air Nomad shaved head helps you feel the air currents better. You'll learn more about this in Min's class. I have asked her to teach Air Nomad history and culture as part of her curriculum."

There were other questions, of course, but the majority of the morning was spent teaching the students their introductory moves. Level 1 was proper breathing and breath control. "Before any airbending move, you must have control of your own inner breath," Aang said.

He also showed them the proper moves and stances for small object air manipulation, air blast from hands with momentum, air cushion, and soft landings from high places. They spent the morning practicing their moves. However, the most exciting thing that day happened just before lunch.

"We've run out of time for today, but let me show you a little of what we're going to work on tomorrow. I've shown you levels 1-5 already and you can practice them on your own time. Level 6 is a bit more advanced, but it is critical for an airbender to learn this skill as soon as possible."

Then he twirled his staff and out popped the glider. He threw it in front of him such that it did a loop-de-loop. When it returned to him, he hopped on and flew for a few seconds before coming to a stop on the ground again.

"We get to do that _already_?" remarked Kochi.

"Yes. Beginning air glider is Level 6. But it may take a few of you a while before you can get beyond that level. It isn't the easiest," answered Aang.

Lunch time rolled around and Aang found Katara and sat down next to her.

"How'd it go?" she asked him.

"Oh Katara, I'm in heaven! I can't believe I'm teaching airbenders!" he replied.

"What do you think of them so far?" she asked.

"Well, they are at different levels and abilities, of course," he answered. "Meifeng has a leg up just because of some of the moves that Kotori showed her. Youfeng is also going to be quite good. Kochi seems to be a bit undisciplined – he wants things to happen much quicker than they probably will for him. And Kanpu is just the most adorable thing ever. He's trying his best, but at seven, it will take him a long time to remember everything he's being taught."

"Sounds like a good start!" she remarked.

"Katara, I wanted to do something special tonight. It's been a while since it was just the two of us away from this place not practicing our bending, airbender training, upgrading the temple, or whatnot," Aang said.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" she asked.

"I want to keep it a surprise," he said.

"Another secret?" she remarked.

"You'll know all my secrets soon enough," he replied.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Katara walked out of the temple just before dinner time. Aang was standing there with Appa and Momo next to him waiting for her arrival.

"Oh, we're going somewhere?" she asked.

"It's not far," he replied.

They climbed aboard the furry white beast and took off. In only a matter of minutes, they had reached their destination – the top of one of the nearby mountain tops.

"Aang, why are we here?" Katara asked.

"I just wanted to get away for an evening and spend some time with you. We _are_ getting married in two months!" he replied.

"I thought we were already married?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"You know what I mean!" he retorted.

Aang jumped up to Appa's saddle and brought down a sack.

"Here is our fancy dinner for the evening," he said as he took out a few sandwiches and raw vegetables.

"Oooh, very fancy," remarked Katara sarcastically.

"Well, if you hate what I've planned for you this evening, I can ask Appa to take you home," he played along.

"No, that will not be necessary," she replied in a playful/formal tone.

"Fine," he answered.

"_Fine_," she repeated. She then let out a chuckle.

They ate their meager dinners and spent the better portion of the evening cuddling under a blanket, watching the sun set and the moon rise.

When the conversation between the two teens turned from airbenders, classes, friends, and temples to families, wedding and children, Aang took it as a sign to present Katara with the gift he intended on presenting her this evening.

"Katara, there is nothing more I can say to you to express how much I love you. You are my life partner and my bonded mate," he started. "But since we are getting 'married' in two months time, I wanted to abide by your water tribe traditions…." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a betrothal necklace. "I wanted to present you with this. The world will now always know by looking at you that you married me."

_Gasp!_

"Oh Aang, it's so beautiful! When did you have time to do this?" she asked. She was truly in shock – she thought she would have had a hint that he was actively working on her necklace. She certainly didn't expect it to be a complete surprise.

She quickly took off her mother's necklace and replaced it with Aang's.

"What are you going to do with your Mom's necklace?" he asked her.

"It's still the only thing I own that reminds me of her," she said. "I won't be wearing it anymore, but I'm going to keep it proudly displayed somewhere in our new home."

"So I had been thinking about your betrothal necklace even before our trip to the Southern Air Temple….," Aang started. "I had some ideas, but I wanted to make your necklace not only beautiful, but full of memories as well. When you look at it, I want you to think of me and all the times we've spent together."

She unhooked the necklace and held it in her two hands. She examined every aspect of the pendant to see if she could recognize everything that she saw in front of her.

"The necklace strap itself is what you saw me receive the other day. It was a chore, but I asked Sokka to help out on this one. I knew I would not get to see your father before giving you this, so I asked Sokka if he would get your father's blessing and arrange for this strap – which is handmade by your Gran-Gran by the way – to be sent from the Southern Water Tribe."

"Gran-Gran made this?" she said to herself.

"I also got a scroll from your father in addition to the strap giving his blessing. He and the other members of the Southern Water Tribe will prepare our wedding for us. They are so proud of you, Katara," said Aang.

Tears welled in her eyes and flowed down the edges of her face.

"The pendant itself is from the Southern Air Temple. I got it during our recent visit there. I decided that your betrothal necklace's two main parts - the strap and the pendant - should be made of both Southern Water Tribe and Southern Air Temple materials."

"What is this?" she asked as she held the pendant.

"The stone is from the balcony where we….um, you know. Not only is that a memory for me, and hopefully for you, but like I told you when I first picked the spot, it was one of my favorite places at the temple. The stone has _meaning _to me. It is from my _home_," he said. "There are also two gems in the stone. Those are from the prayer room at the Southern Air Temple. Remember how they were mounted in the walls there? Well, I took two – one is yellow and the other is blue. They symbolize all that I said in that room when I first declared myself to you that you were my soulmate. To me, that was the day that I considered ourselves 'married'."

"So our anniversary is the day after Zuko and Mai's anniversary?" Katara asked.

"Hmmm...I never thought of that," replied Aang. "I think it is probably best if we just celebrate our anniversary on the day we get married at the south pole. We can always have our own private anniversary celebration on our 'Air Anniversary'. I really want to keep our Southern Air Temple trip as private as possible – as something special just the two of us know about. It makes it more special, and something only you and I will ever share."

"I really like how you mixed air and water on here. Did it take a lot of time to carve?" asked Katara.

"Not really, it was just really hard to find a time to do it all while you weren't around _and _I didn't have something else to do!" he said. "It hasn't been easy to get away. But you already know that which is why we're up here to begin with!"

"I love you, Aang. Thank you so much. I love it," she said.

With that they continued to hold each other on the mountainside, under the blanket. He kissed her on the forehead as tilted her head on her shoulder. "I wish this feeling would last forever," he said.


	31. Chapter 31

**14-15 months ASC**

_Aang and Katara,_

_I wanted to drop a quick note to let you know that we did make it to Piandao's estate and that we are both enjoying our training. I was only here for a few days last time and you already know how much I learned. I can't even fathom to tell you how much we've learned so far this time. _

_Master Piandao started fresh with Suki. It was funny to see how she reacted to the calligraphy and the waterfall painting. But I must admit, her painting was so much better than mine. We scoured the area and did find more space rock. Together with what was left over from last time, we both had enough to make a space sword. We now have matching swords! I don't know if Suki will give up the fan forever, but she looks mighty awesome wielding a sword._

_We are counting down to the next trip to the South Pole and the big day. Even though it hasn't been that long, it'll be nice to be home again. There's just something about being in the place you grew up. _

_See you soon…_

_Sokka_

OlOlOlOlOlO

The time at the Eastern Air Temple was flying by. Slowly, life became 'normal' again for everyone who lived there. Things were gradually getting cleaned up throughout the entire temple and it was becoming just as magnificent as it was in its glory days. Aang was happy that the Qi Cun residents who moved here were dedicated, hard workers. There wasn't a lazy one among them. The airbenders worked hard at their training and the others did their most to make this their 'new town' and support the airbenders in any way that they could.

Katara would receive at least one scroll a week from the south pole. It was either from Gran-Gran or Hakoda detailing the planning and what was going to happen on Katara's birthday. She received sketches of her wedding dress. It was difficult to keep it from Aang's prying eyes, but eventually he stopped harassing her for a peek.

The airbender training was going well as far as Aang was concerned. Each airbender was given their own staff/glider when their glider training started. At first, they stood on the edge of a very small cliff. They would leap off and use their bending to propel the glider up and forward. Since air cushion was level 4, even if they had trouble with the glider, they still could softly land before they impacted the ground.

Meifeng and Youfeng were definitely the star pupils of the class. They picked up the first 6 levels of airbending in no time and easily passed any testing Aang subjected them to. It was time for them to move onto levels 7 and 8. These dealt with jumping high and running fast with airbending assistance. The others remained at levels 1-6 trying to perfect either their basic airbending moves or getting the glider to fly properly. Suwan, Tengfei, and Kochi were currently stuck here.

Kanpu was probably Aang's favorite student to teach. Seeing how he approached airbending was refreshing for Aang. He was only 7 years old. As a prodigy, Aang was practically as good as his teachers at the age of 7. But here was little Kanpu, giving it his all. He had some success, but because he was not brought up as an Air Nomad, the rigidness of being a young airbender was never applied to young Kanpu making it more difficult for him to focus and concentrate. Aang was determined to make Kanpu a success, but along the way, he was learning a great deal, too. This was how his Air Nomad society might be in the future. No longer pure from an airbending perspective – they would have other worldly influences to take into account as well.

Thus far, Kanpu could do much of the airbending maneuvers that were shown to him, but he was not very consistent. He would generally try a few times before getting the perfect form thus enabling the air to swish into whatever maneuver he was trying. Aang wanted him to concentrate primary on small object manipulation first – he gave him his marbles and had him twirl them between his two hands.

OlOlOlOlOlO

_Aang and Katara,_

_I hope this scroll finds you well…we haven't seen you since our wedding day. The honeymoon on Ember Island was phenomenal. The contractors did a fantastic job at upgrading the old beach house, you wouldn't even know that Fire Lord Ozai once lived there or that we spent a few weeks there training before the war ended (Aang - remember when you blew me out of the attic the day of the beach party?) If you two ever want a relaxing vacation, just let me know and I will make arrangements for you at our new beach house. _

_Fire Nation business continues these days. The rebellions are dying down over time. People were definitely more upset right when the war ended than they are now. I think they probably didn't know if my father would ever come back to power or not, thus they didn't want to immediately support me. The reemergence of my mother has helped matters as well and it seems most of the Fire Nation people are glad to have her around again._

_Speaking of my mother, I wanted to give you a head's up on something. We received your wedding invitation (Where did that come from all of a sudden?) – Mai and I will attend, but my mother will not. She has made Azula her personal project and has been spending night and day with her and her doctors. I did finally succumb to her pressure and visited Azula two weeks ago. The difference is amazing! She is a totally different person. They have deprogrammed her from her hateful, distrusting, manipulative ways. The fact that my father is no longer here to influence her is probably the biggest factor in her recovery. I will continue to play my part as my mother has asked me to. She does relapse every so often, but it is getting less and less so. I'll keep you apprised of her condition – she was, after all, the second biggest threat to the world after Ozai. The world will be a much safer place with the 'old Azula' gone forever._

_Zuko_

"Wow," said Katara. "If Zuko hadn't written it himself, I never would have believed it."

"Imagine Azula…._normal_," Aang replied.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**15 months ASC**

The wedding was only one month away. Katara and Aang knew that most people who would be attending would want to start making their way to the Southern Water Tribe shortly. In her weekly scrolls that she sent back home, Katara warned her friends and relatives again that she expected a lot of people to attend (a list of guests to invite was sent a few weeks back). Accommodations would need to be set-up for one and all – a pretty easy feat for the waterbenders who live there.

Deshi and Haruko, as well as Youfeng and Meifeng decided to travel the south pole to attend the wedding. Ping and Suwan did not feel comfortable making such a long journey with their toddler in tow. They would stay at the Eastern Air Temple for the time being and make sure the gardens were cultivated and the animals were cared for.

Youfeng and Meifeng were really excited. They had asked Aang to give them some more advanced pointers as far as the gliders were concerned since they had mastered the lower level requirements so easily. They would both bring their gliders with them and could fly most of the way to the south pole since there were many land masses between them and their destination.

"Dress warmly though," Aang told them. "You have no idea how cold it gets down there, especially when you are flying."

Because most of the training had stopped for the time being, Katara convinced Aang that they should head down to the south pole a little early. Not only would it give her time with her family, but relieve some of the guilt she was feeling not being a part of the wedding planning or set-up.

The teens asked Deshi and Haruko if they would rather travel with them on Appa rather than make their way by boat and ostrich horse. It would mean they would still need to leave the Eastern Air Temple about a month before the wedding, but they would spend the majority of their time at the south pole rather than en route. Deshi and Haruko took them up on their kind offer.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The four travelers were approaching the Southern Water Tribe on Appa. Katara let out a gasp when she saw her home.

"I told them there would be a lot of guests, but this is incredible!" she remarked.

The Southern Water Tribe was starting to look like the Northern Water Tribe in a lot of respects. More and more ice buildings had been built – and they were much bigger than anything had ever been seen at the south pole. The place quickly – in a matter of just two years – gone from a sad little village full of igloos and tents – to a virtual mini-ice city of sorts.

Appa landed and the travelers got off with their packs in tow. They made their way through the unknown alleys of the new layout and found what Katara recognized as Gran-Gran's home. She burst through the door.

"Gran? Gran-Gran, are you here?" Katara shouted.

"Katara! It is so good to see you!" Kanna answered her grandchild as she approached and wrapped her arms around her.

"And Aang, my soon-to-be grandson," she said as she opened her arm to encase him as well.

"Gran-Gran, this is Deshi and Haruko. They the backbone to the new settlement at the Eastern Air Temple. They are also Fei Yen's parents and were our hosts in Qi Cun," Katara said.

"Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe!" Kanna said to her guests.

"Th-thank you," replied Deshi, shaking.

"Hmm. I guess you didn't dress warmly enough, eh?" Kanna observed to herself. "Pakku?"

Pakku soon arrived in the doorway from another part of the house. "Yes, Kanna?"

"Master Pakku," Katara said as she bowed to her teacher.

"Master Katara, it's good to see you again," he replied in kind.

"Pakku, can you take Deshi and Haruko to get some warmer clothes and show them to one of the newly made houses or apartments that were made?"

"Sure thing, anything for you, my love," he replied as he kissed her on her cheek. "Would you rather have a house? Or we also have some fine apartments as well."

"Oh, an apartment would be fine. It's just the two of us…," Haruko trailed off as she, Deshi and Pakku left the room.

With that Kanna turned to Katara and Aang. "Go into the living room, we have much to discuss!" she ordered.

Aang and Katara did as they were told. "I'm hungry, what time - ", Aang started. But just then Kanna entered the room with some hot tea and snacks. "Nevermind," he said.

"So Gran-Gran, what's been going on? Did you get all my scrolls?" asked Katara.

"Yes, child. This whole place is abuzz about the upcoming wedding," said Kanna. "All the plans are in place – now it is just a matter of finalizing things."

"Do you know who is coming?" asked Katara. "You did send out the invitations didn't you?"

Kanna gave her a look like _you know better than to ask me that_. "Katara, there are so many people coming. Almost everyone you told me to invite! Dignitaries from the Northern Water Tribe, Ba Sing Se, and the Fire Nation Capital will all be here. I even sent scrolls so many of the names you sent me who I don't even know and they are _all_ coming too!" Kanna stated.

"Wait, so you found Longshot and Smellerbee?" asked Katara.

"Well, Fei Yen did," she replied. "I told her what you told me – that they'd probably still be in Ba Sing Se. They were, and the invitation got to them."

"And Pipsqueak and The Duke?" asked Aang.

"Yes, they are coming. Funny thing is, I just got their reply a few days ago and Toph is with them," answered Kanna. "And she's coming, too."

Aang and Katara gave each other a furrowed eyebrow look. "Toph is with Pipsqueak and The Duke?" said Katara. "What is that all about/"

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," answered Aang.

"Hmmm…let's see," said Kanna as she pulled out a scroll, unfurled it and started reading it line by line. "Several people from Kyoshi Island, King Bumi from Omashu, Haru and his parents, Aunt Wu, Jeong Jeong, Chief Arnook from our sister tribe and…oh my… quite a few members of the Northern Water Tribe, King Kuei and Fei Yen, Iroh, a few folks from the Earth Kingdom….look, here's a lady who says you helped to deliver her baby!"

"Wow, so many!" exclaimed Katara.

"It'll be so nice to see so many of them again," said Aang.

"Can I see the dress Gran-Gran?" Katara asked.

"You stay put _Avatar_, this is one place you cannot go!" Kanna said as she pointed a finger at Aang. She took Katara to a back room to view her dress.

"It's amazing!" Katara exclaimed.

"I can finish the final alterations now that you are here," said Kanna.

The two ladies reemerged. Katara had a huge smile on her face. "You're going to love the dress," she told her groom.

"Kanna, would you mind making me something for the wedding as well?" asked Aang.

"Katara told me that you'd probably wear your golden airbender robes," she replied.

"Well, I could. But I'd like something more special for the wedding," said Aang.

"I can respect that," said Kanna. "We've got nearly a month. There should be plenty of time to whip you something up as well."

Pakku then walked back in.

"Did you get them all set-up, Master Pakku?" asked Aang.

"They'll be fine. They are staying in that new unit we put close to the waterfront," he replied.

"You've done an amazing job with the village," said Katara to Pakku.

"Why thank you, Katara. I always said I wanted to help our sister tribe in the south, and your upcoming wedding just made the renovations and upgrades go that much faster," said Pakku. "There is plenty of room for all the guests who are coming. Speaking of which..."

"We have a surprise," said Kanna. "You aren't staying here."

"Dad's place is fine, too," said Katara.

"No, you're not staying there either," Kanna said.

Katara looked puzzled. "Are we staying in one of Pakku's new houses?"

"Sort of," said Kanna.

"We built you two your own house. It's yours even after the wedding crowd goes home," said Pakku.

"Oh Gran-Gran!" said Katara as she hugged her grandmother tightly.

"Thank you, Master Pakku," Aang said as he bowed to his teacher.

"Yes, thank you, Master Pakku," and she also bowed. Then she leaped up and gave him a huge hug.

"Let's go check it out," said Kanna. So they left Kanna and Pakku's house and made their way for Aang and Katara's new house.

"We now have two places of our own to call home," said Katara, whispering in Aang's ear.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Over the next few weeks, the wedding planning and preparation continued. Kanna had made Aang's wedding outfit, which ended up being a beautiful light yellowish gold with white and blue highlights. Aang and Katara had talked and to match the 'theme' of their bond, they wanted everything to be blue and yellow (or gold) in color to signify their two worlds coming togther.

Master Pakku set up a separate place right outside the village, yet near the water, for the wedding and parties to take place. The decorations were more for Katara's family, who wanted to put on the best possible occasion possible for the couple. Aang and Katara gave a lot of feedback and openly participated in the planning, but as had been said before, this was 'some random day' to each of them, who already felt a lifelong spiritual bond to the other. This was to be a celebration of their love and a way to make it 'official' for the people of the Water Tribe…and the world.

The first guests started arriving about four days before the scheduled event. Aang and Katara requested not to have separate parties for each of them, rather, they wanted to hold events and parties for them and all the guests who had arrived each evening leading up to the big day.

Among the first guests to arrive were Youfeng and Meifeng. When he saw them land, Aang greeted them warmly.

"You made it!" Aang said to the father and daughter airbenders.

"Sorry we're so early," remarked Youfeng. "The trip wasn't nearly as arduous as I expected it to be."

"So no problems then?" asked Aang.

"None to speak of. Thanks for all the recommendations on where to land and camp. It really did work out well," said Youfeng.

"Let me point you towards Haruko. She wanted to help out and we decided to put her on 'housing'. She's going to assign everyone a place to stay while they are here," said Aang. With that, he walked the duo to Haruko's place and invited them to the pre-wedding parties.

The first party consisted of mostly Water Tribe villagers and only a few out-of-town guests. It was an informal affair and everyone ate well and had a good time meeting the new people.

"So Youfeng," started Pakku. "You're just starting your airbending training?"

"I sure am," Youfeng replied. "My daughter is also an airbender and we thought it would be a perfect opportunity for me to train as well. I know what you're thinking, 'you're too old' to start, but I'm going in with no expectations. I'm just enjoying the experience."

"I wasn't thinking that at all. I admire you for being so open-minded. It took me 10 years to reach the level of Master Waterbender. In 10 years, you'll only be what, mid-50's? You'll make it, I'm sure of it," said Pakku.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next day, some of the old Jet gang arrived. Apparently Longshot and Smellerbee kept in touch with Pipsqueak and The Duke. They ended up traveling together from the Earth Kingdom. As Kanna had indicated earlier, Toph was with them.

Katara was among the first to notice their arrival. Of course, her good friend Toph was the one who got her first bit of attention.

"Toph! You made it," said Katara.

"Hey, Sugar Queen! I can't say I'm glad to be back here, but at least it's for a short time and a good cause," Toph replied.

The two girls hugged.

"Hey guys," Katara said to the other four people standing there. "Our friend Haruko is assigning all the housing. She's right over there in that building." She pointed to where Haruko could be found.

As they were walking away, Katara shouted, "…and there's a gathering tonight. Toph, I want to talk to you so you'd better be there!"

OlOlOlOlOlO

Later that evening, Katara and Toph had a chance to sit down and talk a bit about what had happened over the last few months since they had parted company.

"So, uh, Toph. When we were in the Fire Nation, you said you had a place in mind to go to when you left. When we heard you were with Pipsqueak and The Duke, we were floored. Any particular reason you're with them?" asked Katara.

"It's hard to explain," started Toph. "I love you guys – I really do – but there is something about being with other people from the Earth Kingdom that I really enjoy from time to time as well. I became really good friends with The Duke after the eclipse. I've missed him a lot all this time."

"Um…Toph. Do you have a crush on The Duke?" asked Katara.

"And what if I said 'yes'," Toph replied.

"Toph. He's _young_," Katara said. "What is he, like 9 years old?"

"He'll be 10 in just a few months…," Toph replied.

"…and you'll be 14 in 6 months," said Katara.

"Of all my friends, I thought you'd understand the most," said Toph, obviously a little frustrated. "He reminds me a little bit of Aang. He's young, I'll give you that, but he's definitely more mature than his age. He has shown that he cares about me – and maybe it is as a friend right now – but still I enjoy spending time with him. You guys all had someone special. I wanted to find that, too."

"Oh," was all Katara could muster. "Just be careful, ok?"

"What for?" said Toph.

"Now that you mention it, I can see some parallels between The Duke and Aang. I remember Jet telling me that The Duke was found on his own scavenging for food and shelter when he was nothing but a small boy. He had to grow up fast and thankfully, Jet's group helped him out when he needed it. He fought in a major war before the age of 9. But I'll give you the same warning that someone gave me and that is, 'don't push too hard'. If it is meant to be, it will be. Just because they can handle some mature situations doesn't mean that they can handle others."

"That sounds fair," said Toph. "Hey Katara, thanks for looking out for me." Toph then punched her in the arm.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Most of the guests arrived the next day. As was expected, many of the royal contingents made travel plans for all of the guests coming from their nation. Chief Arnook and the members of the Northern Water Tribe who came were the first to arrive just before lunch. Fei Yen and King Kuei along with many of the Earth Kingdom generals came mid-afternoon. Finally, Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai arrived just after dinner. Haruko was going crazy with all these people arriving virtually at the same time, but in the end, all was taken care of.

"Aang, it is so good to see you again!" said King Bumi when he saw his good friend.

"Bumi, you wore your purple just for me!" said Aang. "I remember that outfit all too well!"

The two embraced.

Meanwhile, Katara found Fei Yen on the other side of town.

"How is the pregnancy going?" asked Katara. Fei Yen was about now about four months along and a small bump was just beginning to show.

"It's been ok. A little bit of sickness and exhaustion, but all-in-all, I can't complain," replied Fei Yen.

"What do you think it will be?" asked Katara.

"I'm hoping a boy," said Fei Yen. "Kuei wants a boy first, though I'm sure he'd love a girl just as much."

Just then a new face appeared. "Ying! How are you?" said Katara as she turned to face her. "Fei Yen, this is Ying. I helped deliver her baby 18 months ago when we first went to Ba Sing Se."

"You delivered her baby, Katara?" said Fei Yen with some surprise.

"Sure did!" said Katara proudly. "How is Hope doing?"

"She's as cute as ever – and not quite as 'squishy'," remarked Ying.

"I remember that," said Katara laughing, remembering her brother's comment at seeing the newborn.

"She is walking and talking. I thought having a baby was difficult. Toddlers are much worse!" said Ying.

Aang had made his way over to Haruko with Bumi when he spotted Zuko and Mai walking towards him.

"Welcome!" he cried out when he saw them.

"This is a madhouse," remarked Mai.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," replied Aang.

"Well, I guess the Avatar doesn't get married all that often, eh? The last Avatar wedding was what, almost 200 years ago?" said Zuko as the two friends walked away from the crowd for a bit more privacy.

Aang counted a bit in his head, all the while remembering the spirit world scenes he had seen of Roku's wedding to Ta Min with Sozin as his best man. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

He looked over to where Mai was standing. "Hey, isn't that Suki?"

"Where?" Aang replied and looked towards Mai.

Just then he saw Katara come running across the path and hug her brother, who was standing a few feet behind Suki.

"It's them!" said Aang. The two teens walked off to greet their friends.

OlOlOlOlOlO

That evening, dinner was held at Hakoda's house for the innermost circle of Aang and Katara's friends. Before the meal was served, Kanna took Aang, then Katara, into a back room for a final-final fitting of their wedding clothes. When they reappeared, they were smiling from ear to ear. They sat together on a couch in the sitting room and held hands.

"You two look beyond excited," remarked Suki. "And very much in love."

"Oh, we are," replied Katara.

"Hey, everyone," Sokka started to get everyone's attention. "We were wondering if you'd like to meet us back here in 6 months?"

"Why would we….are you two? Getting married, too?" beamed Katara.

"Sokka proposed yesterday," said Suki.

"Oh that's so great!" remarked Katara.

"Congratulations, Sokka," said both Zuko and Aang as they grabbed his arm in a masculine hold.

Kanna interrupted the celebration, "Ok, time for dinner. Everyone to the dining room."

Dinner was delicious. Katara swore she would gain weight as a result of all the wonderful food she was eating at all the celebrations she had been attending over the past week. She was thankful that, as of the earlier dress fitting, all was still easily ok. The dress still fit fine.

Lots of talk ensued about the wedding that was due to happen in about 6 months time. Aang and Katara were actually happy to have the attention deflected off of them for one evening at least. Suki and Sokka were talking about a much smaller, more intimate affair. It definitely made more sense. As much as these two helped 'save the world' alongside the Avatar, the truth was, nothing was going to generate quite the buzz as an Avatar's wedding.

After dinner, the friends attended the gathering for all the guests which was taking place down the street. Aang decided to take this time to talk to Zuko about his last scroll. Both took a seat next to each other on the other side of the where the band was playing so they could still hear each other.

"So Zuko, tell me about what's been going on with Azula," said Aang.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it," Zuko replied. "She's getting _better_. I talked with my Mom about it. The doctors think that a few things played a huge part in how she was. First was that Azula always thought Mom hated her. Well, that's been disproven time and again. I can hardly get a word with Mom because she practically lives down with Azula these days. Second was the fact that my Dad had a huge influence over her. She just didn't know any better. She just followed his lead."

"Yup, I can definitely see the similarities between the two of them – at least while the war was still going on," said Aang.

"And third, there was the final betrayal by Ty Lee and Mai at the Boiling Rock. That completely threw her for a mental loop. Her most trusted friends and comrades betrayed her in a time of need. That was the final straw and she couldn't handle anymore. That's when she really started going down the chute. Thankfully, Mai has been at Mom's beckon call. She and I have both visited her and supported her. Azula is starting to trust again. I also think she is seeing the true power of family and love rather than fear and hate."

"That's great, Zuko," remarked Aang. "I hope she makes it all the way back."

"Mom wants to slowly get Azula back into mainstream society. She's already out of the prison and out of her chilled cell. Now she's just in more of a mental ward. I think she eventually will bring her back to the palace and then, back into the public eye again."

"Your Mom seems to have things well in hand," said Aang. "I'm sure it will all work out. It'll be kind of nice to have a sister again, won't it?"

"It'll be nice to have a sister at all – she was never a sister to me before. She was nasty and mean and manipulative," said Zuko.

"What are you two talking about?" interrupted Sokka.

"We were just talking about Azula," said Zuko.

"Azula? I hope I never have to see _her_ again," said Sokka. "She's still in prison, right?"

"Um….Ursa's been rehabilitating her," answered Aang.

"What exactly does _that_ mean?" asked Sokka.

"It means, no, she's not in prison anymore. Mom and the doctors are working on her and are slowly bringing her back," said Zuko.

"So, they're going to make her _normal_ then?" asked Sokka.

_sigh_ "Yes, Sokka, they are going to make her normal again," replied Zuko.

Aang desperately wanted to change the subject. "So Sokka, care to show us some moves you've learned from Master Piandao?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Aang. I never thought you'd ask! Suki! Come over here for a second," Sokka yelled.

Suki ran over to her fiancé. "What is it?" she asked.

Sokka whipped out his space sword and took a swing at her with no warning. By the time his sword came down, hers was already out and caught his before it could make its mark. The two teens fought each other from one end of the party to the next. The clanking of space metal and the ferocity of the fight was enough to garner the attention of all the guests who made stood back and made room for the battling teens.

Katara made her way to Aang's side. "Wow, she's really good," she remarked to Aang.

"She never used a sword before going to see Piandao, did she?" Aang asked.

"I don't think so. Just the fans," said Katara.

Before Sokka knew what hit him, he was flat on the snow with Suki's sword pointed at his chest.

"Yield," he said. She offered her hand to him and pulled him up. The two swordsmen walked back to their friends.

"That was a great demonstration," said Aang.

"I can't believe she beat you," said Zuko.

"It's not as big a deal as you'd think," said Sokka. "We run about 50/50 when we spar."

"You two were _amazing_," remarked Katara.

"Now that we're both training in the way of the sword, we can continue to pursue it even while we're away from Master Piandao," said Suki. "He seemed really happy with our progress when we left him."

"What about the Kyoshi warriors?" asked Katara.

Suki looked a little sad. "I've been thinking about that," she said. "I haven't made up my mind yet, but it's something I need to think about. Now that Sokka and I are engaged, my life is seemingly not headed back to Kyoshi anytime soon."

"Well, let me know if you need to talk," Katara offered.

"Thanks," Suki replied and gave Katara a sisterly hug.

"Well, I'm going to turn in," said Aang. "Tomorrow's the big day."

"Good idea, Aang. 'Night all," said Katara. With that, the two teens walked hand-in-hand back to their new house to get a good night's sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

Finally, it was the big day. Katara was now 16 and it was her wedding day to the most powerful being on the planet. She was unsure how anything could possibly beat this day of her life. Sure, it was just a ceremony, but when again would she have so many friends and family in one location? She felt it was a bit of a turning point – the second major one in her life. The first one was finding her future love frozen in an iceberg. This one was from being a nomadic girl during war time and the immediate clean-up, to what she hoped would be the way things would be for the rest of her life. She was going to be a wife, and probably a mother, very soon.

Aang woke up happy – though he was very nervous. He didn't have any problems at all with marrying Katara. But to stand-up and do this in front of so many people, well, anyone would be a little scared. He was naturally much more comfortable with his own private declaration those months ago. He certainly didn't need a big, fancy ceremony. But this day was for Katara and her family. The world would rejoice in seeing these two people wed.

The teens did not stay strict with any sort of pre-marriage tradition. As has been said before already, they both already considered themselves bonded. They were both happy and for the most part, calm. They spent the night before the wedding together and went for a walk early the next morning.

Hand-in-hand they walked towards the grounds that Master Pakku bended to host the wedding. Several folks were already up making final preparations to the site. Of course, items like flowers and decorations had to be compatible with the environment of the south pole during winter time. But it was going to be a beautiful locale for the biggest wedding of the century.

Upon returning to their home, Katara found a scroll on the kitchen table.

_Katara,_

_When you are ready, please come to my house. Aang's robes are hanging in your bedroom closet and he can get ready there._

_Gran-Gran_

"Aang, Gran-Gran put your robes in the bedroom closet," she repeated aloud for her husband-to-be. "I'm going to get going – I'm sure Sokka and Zuko will be here soon."

With that, Katara was out the door.

She arrived at Gran-Gran's house in no time at all. The first order of business was breakfast.

"If you don't eat now, you may not get another chance," Gran-Gran said to her.

Katara was treated to a massage and after that, someone worked on her make-up and nails. Right before it was time for the dress, several of the ladies showed up to see how they could support her – Suki, Mai, Fei Yen, Ty Lee, and Toph all arrived just before lunch.

As the ladies sat in the sitting room, Katara went into a back room to put on her dress. When she emerged, her friends were all speechless.

"Katara, I'm stunned!" said Suki. "You are beautiful!"

"Wow," remarked Mai.

"Definitely not the look of a fierce warrior," said Fei Yen. "You are 100% lady today."

Toph let out a wolf-whistle. All of them in the room turned to look at her. "What? I didn't want to feel left out." They all laughed.

"Are you ready?" asked Kanna.

"Definitely," Katara replied.

Meanwhile, down the street, Aang's friends had arrived and were hanging out with him before the ceremony. Aang didn't have to do nearly as much as his lovely bride. He rejected the pampering that was offered to normal grooms. He just wanted to be himself – humble and modest. Other than wash, get some food in his stomach and put on the fancy robe, Aang didn't have much else to do. He just spent the morning hours hanging out with his friends and talking.

"This is some house," Sokka said. "I hope I get one when I get married."

"They didn't tell you yet?" asked Aang.

"What?" said Sokka.

"I may have just ruined the surprise, but I heard Pakku and Gran-Gran talking – you are getting one of the new houses after the wedding when the guests have left," said Aang.

"Ooh! Really?" said Sokka. "Which one?"

"I don't really know," answered Aang. "You know as much as I do now."

"So Aang, are you prepared for _tonight_?" asked Zuko. "Any questions you want to ask us?"

"You don't have to worry about that," said Sokka. "The deed's been done already."

"How do you know that?" asked Aang.

"Suki told me," he said calmly.

"..and you're not upset?" Aang asked.

"I'm over it," was his reply. "Why do people think I'm going to get so upset about this?"

Aang shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Because people told me you would be. Big brother thing and all."

"I'm happy for you guys," said Sokka. "You've treated Katara with nothing but love and respect. Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law." Sokka patted Aang's back.

"Thanks Sokka," said Aang.

"Now, are you going to give us details?" asked Zuko. "When did all this happen?"

"Well, Katara and I are keeping some of this to ourselves, but let's just say it was right around the time of your wedding," Aang replied. "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life."

Everyone smiled, thinking back to their first times.

"It's a good thing you guys are getting married then," said Zuko, who then winked with his good eye.

"I know," replied Aang. "We've thought of that already."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Everyone started gathering at the wedding grounds in the early afternoon. Pretty soon, it seemed that everyone that was going to attend was there, sitting down and waiting for the ceremony to begin. Hakoda soon got up and addressed the crowd.

"Good citizens of the Southern Water Tribe and visitors from around the world. Welcome. Today we celebrate the marriage of my daughter, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe to Aang of the Southern Air Temple and Avatar to the world. Unlike many of the water tribe wedding ceremonies you've seen before, today's ceremony is all about them. They have written their own vows and will be expressing their love for each other in front of you, their friends and family."

As the audience was carefully paying attention to Hakoda, who was speaking in front of them, Aang and Katara appeared behind everyone waiting for his introduction to finish before proceeding. Aang was formally escorting Katara with his elbow bent; her arm was draped under his. As Hakoda finished, he looked up at the couple. Upon seeing this, the entire crowd turned to look at the Avatar and his bride. They stood up as a measure of respect.

Aang and Katara slowly walked through aisleway that split the crowd and soon arrived in front of all their friends and family.

Hakoda said, "Please be seated," and then took his own seat to watch the ceremony.

Aang and Katara turned to face each other and held each other's hands. Katara hesitated, but Aang whispered, "It's just you and me," reminiscent of their experience at the Fire Nation dance party. Katara inhaled and began.

"The world knows you as the almighty Avatar, the one who ultimately defeated the Fire Lord. You are perhaps the most powerful being on the entire planet, the only person who can bend all four elements. As much as I admire your talents and accomplishments, I want to tell you that, to me, you will always be Aang, the boy I found in the iceberg."

"What the world does not know about you is that you are a kind spirit. You are funny, light-hearted, and enjoy laughing all the time. You care for others above yourself. You have a love for all things living whether they are human or otherwise. I have seen you grow these past years into an educated and worldly young man."

"Aang, our love has grown so much over these past two years. I must admit, at first, it was more a love like an older sister. I wanted to protect you and look out for you as much as I could. But there was always a spark there that I couldn't explain. I needed to be around you as much as I could. I grew to learn that you were more than just a friend to me. You were the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with no matter what path we chose to take."

"I know that being the wife of the Avatar isn't necessarily going to be easy. I will need to share you, at least in part, with the world and your duties to it. But I want you to know that I accept that and that the trade-off is worth it. Just know that no matter what, I will love, comfort, support, and challenge you for all the days of our lives to come. I love you, Aang, and I always will."

Aang wiped a single tear from the corner of Katara's eye when she was finished speaking. She looked at his face when she was finished and he was smiling back at her ever so gently. She could tell that he really appreciated her words.

"I was born 114 years ago to a world at peace in a community of great love. My path in life was already laid out before me – to be the best airbender I could be and to eventually become a teacher at the craft I loved so much. Then, I was told I was the Avatar and my life changed forever."

"I accidentally left the world I loved all those years ago. I was frozen in ice for 100 years. The first sight I saw when I emerged from the ice was you, Katara. Your beautiful face at that exact moment will always be etched I my mind. I don't know how to describe it, but from the first time I saw you, I knew the relationship between you and I would be different than any I had ever had before. I was stunned by your beauty and the life that I once knew and was so comfortable with, the life of airbending, monks and meditation, needed something more to make it complete."

"Little by little, even as the war raged, I felt myself drawn to you. I wholeheartedly wished that your feelings would be the same in return. I felt a bit lost and unsure not knowing if I would ever be more than a good friend to you. But then, that night in Ba Sing Se changed who we were to each other forever. It was our first real kiss. I knew then that someday, this day, our wedding day, would come."

"Katara, I love you more than you can even imagine. I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

The vows, having been concluded, ended with a long embrace between the couple. They broke the embrace and kissed deeply, the culmination of the emotions that were just verbalized. The guests sat in silence for a few seconds, but soon erupted into applause and cheers as the kiss continued.

The closest friends and family to the couple stood and joined the new husband and wife in front of the crowd. Kisses, hugs and handshakes were shared by all.

The audience got up from their seats and began milling about. Hors d'oeuvres were served and the area was prepared for the party that was to follow. Katara and Aang took a few minutes to go back to their house by themselves for some emotional cooling off.

"I know this wasn't supposed to be a big deal," Katara started, "but that took a lot out of me!"

"I love you so much," Aang replied and gave her a huge bear hug. They held each other tight for what seemed like a long time. They simply just didn't want to let each other go.

"Are you ready for the party?" Katara asked.

"Absolutely!" he replied. "It's going to be a fun night!"

They opened the front door and there stood Aunt Wu, just about to knock on their door.

"Oh, hello," Aunt Wu said.

"Aunt Wu, we were just going back to the party," said Aang.

"Well, young ones, I wanted to try to catch you alone so I could give you my wedding gift," Aunt Wu said.

"You know I love your predictions…..," said Katara. "What is it?"

"First, a general observation for both of you. Aang, your time as Avatar started as one of the most violent and bloody as any of the Avatars who came before you. I wanted you to know that I have consulted several manners of foresight and all agree that the remainder of your lifetime will be among the most peaceful and calm times in history," said Aunt Wu.

Katara hugged Aang. "That's great news," she remarked.

"There is something else more personal that I couldn't quite make out. Essentially it told me that the new project you are working on will be successful," she said. "Of course, I couldn't quite make out what that was all about, but thought I should tell you in case you might know."

"Aunt Wu, we have discovered airbenders and a small colony of sorts has already been created. I am training airbenders at the Eastern Air Temple and hope that more and more will be born and join us over time," said Aang.

"Ahhh. I now see what my vision was trying to tell me. The airbenders. Yes, they will grow in number and your plans will be successful, young Avatar," Aunt Wu said.

"Anything else?" asked Katara.

"Yes, one final thing. I thought you two would like to know that your first born is not very far away," said Aunt Wu.

"When? What will it be? Will it be a bender?" Katara asked.

"I can only tell you when. My vision showed me that your first born will be a winter baby. So it will be born about a year from now," she said.

Katara hugged Aunt Wu. "Thank you, Aunt Wu. Your gift was truly a treasure for us."

Aunt Wu bowed to the couple and headed back to the party.

"Aang, we're going to be parents!" said Katara to her husband.

"Well, not quite yet," Aang observed. "We have a good three months left to practice our baby-making before its time to make one for real."

She slapped him across the chest with a light back-hand. "Did I say to all those people out there not an hour ago that you were funny? Well, I take it back!"

"What?" Aang retorted. "I thought it was _really_ funny."

The couple walked hand-in-hand back to their guests right outside the Southern Water Tribe wall. When everyone saw that they had returned, they heard more clapping and a bit of cheering.

Aang held his hand up so everyone would be quiet for a few seconds.

"Katara and I are so glad all of you could be here to share this day with us. In case we don't get a chance to talk with each and every one of you, we wanted you to know that most of our time will be spent at the Eastern Air Temple for the time being. If you need us for any reason, you can find us there. Now, since the formal part of the day is over and we are now husband and wife, I wanted to invite you all to have a great time this evening and really enjoy yourselves."

The music started after Aang's small speech and most of the crowd either went for the food, or started dancing.

Katara and Aang got a small bite to eat and sat down. Some of their friends soon joined them.

"Are you guys going on a honeymoon?" asked Suki.

"We'll probably just hit a few spots before we go back to the Eastern Air Temple. Nothing big," said Katara.

"Anywhere specific?" asked Zuko.

"I want to go back to Kyoshi for a few days," said Aang. "Then maybe a stint in Ba Sing Se."

"Hey, we're headed to Kyoshi after we leave," said Suki. "Can we get a lift on Appa?"

"Absolutely," said Aang. "We're probably going to hang out here for about a week before leaving though."

"That's fine by us," said Sokka. "We're in no huge rush."

"How about some time on Ember Island?" asked Zuko. "The invitation is always out there."

"Hmmm…that sounds like fun. What do you think Katara?" asked Aang.

"I think we should. Thanks Zuko!" said Katara.

Aang looked out at the dance floor. "Aww, they are so cute together."

"Who?" asked Mai.

"Toph and The Duke," Aang replied.

"She likes him you know," Katara said to her husband.

"You're _kidding_!" Aang said.

"Nope, we've had a little talk about the situation already. She enjoys being with him. That's who she went to meet after she left the Fire Nation last time," said Katara.

"He has some growing up to do, doesn't he?" Aang asked.

"Yes, he does. But she's willing to wait," she said. "For now, she's just going to spend time and be good friends. I have no issue with it. She's happy," Katara said.

"I guess that's what matters most. As long as she's happy," said Aang. "I always thought she would end up with Teo."

"Teo? Never….!" said Zuko. "No chemistry."

"She's got the ultimate 'grounded' earthbender and he's an airbender wanna be," said Sokka. "Just not a good match. Hey Aang, I wonder if she ever liked you?"

"Not that I'm aware of, but I know she had a crush on you," Aang replied.

"What? Me?" remarked Sokka.

"I hate to say it Sokka, but you're a ladies' man – you attract them like flies. Even Ty Lee thought you were cute. Suki, you've got yourself some catch there!" said Aang.

"I know it," Suki said and kissed Sokka on the cheek.

Hakoda then started speaking to the guests. "Everyone! Everyone! Can you give me your attention for just a moment?" The noise slowly reduced to a mumble. "In addition to this being Katara and Aang's wedding day, this is also Katara's sixteenth birthday. Katara, will you come up here?"

Katara slowly made her way up to her father's side.

"I know you've already gotten the best gift – your new husband – but I wanted to make sure your birthday wasn't forgotten…"

Gran-Gran then appeared with a cake. "I know it isn't much, but 'Happy Birthday' dear."

"Happy Birthday, Katara!" came randomly as the guests shouted at the bride.

Katara took a small piece and tried it. "It's delicious!" she told her Gran-Gran.

"Now here is the _big_ cake…." Gran-Gran said just as the wedding cake was wheeled to the event from one of the ice houses. It was absolutely huge! It had to be to feed all the guests who had come to the wedding. Just like Aang and Katara had asked, it was mostly white, but had both yellow and blue highlights on it.

Katara saw her wedding cake for the first time and hugged Gran-Gran. "It's beautiful! Thank you, Gran-Gran!"

"Don't just thank me, there are many others who helped with the cake," said Kanna.

Katara turned to face the guests. "Thank you everyone for all that you've done for Aang and me today. Thanks to those who helped with all the planning and set-up. And also a big thanks to those of you who traveled so far to be with us on our special day."

Katara then returned to her friends.

"Happy Birthday, Katara," said Suki.

"Thanks Suki," Katara replied. "I thought it may have gotten forgotten today, but I guess not."

"Of course we aren't going to forget your birthday," said Sokka.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. A great time was had by all. A little bit of dancing, a little bit of eating, and a lot of talking and reminiscing. There was only the slightest hint of sadness as they all realized, yet again, they would be parting ways. As horrible as the war was, it did still bring them together as a family. Now that the war was over, everyone had their own path in life to follow. At least they would be back together again in 6 months time for Sokka's wedding. But after that….who knew?


	33. Chapter 33

Aang and Katara retreated to their house while the party was still going strong. They were tired and it had been a very long, emotional day for the two of them.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Avatar," Aang said to his wife.

"Ummm….now that just sounds…uh…._corny_," replied Katara.

"I know," Aang replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, c'mere," Katara said as rolled her eyes and grabbed his right hand and pulled him to her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly moved her mouth closer to his. He, in turn, put his hands on her waist. He moved his lips to meet hers. It started with just a gentle, yet passionate, set of kisses right there in the living room.

She broke the kiss and looked into his gray eyes and simply smiled at him. Their arms remained wrapped around each other.

"What?" he asked.

"Who would have thought that we'd be here right now?" she asked. "I mean, an airbender monk who is over 100 years old now married to a girl from the Southern Water Tribe."

"I guess it's not a usual pairing, now is it?" he answered.

"No – it's not. And for monk, you aren't half bad at _this_," she said.

"Oh yeah?" he replied with laughter in his voice. He swept her up into his arms and carried her towards the bedroom and placed her on the bed. "Are you ready to make some memories?"

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, Aang and Katara awoke to find themselves in pretty much the same circumstances as they last remembered from the evening before – close to each other, naked, and happy. Katara started to stir and Aang, already awake, kissed her on the head.

"Good morning," he said.

"Mmmmm….good morning," she replied.

The sun was shining brightly into their bedroom. The light felt warm against their skin. They held each other in silence for just a few minutes.

"I guess we should really get moving," said Aang.

"Do we have to?" Katara asked.

"Yes, I think so. Most everyone is leaving today and we need to say good-bye," he replied.

Aang gave Katara a peck on the lips and he headed towards the bathroom to clean himself up.

The couple got ready for their day and after breakfast, headed outside to see what was going on around the village.

Aang was right that there were quite a few folks already outside milling around, baggage in-hand. The main contingents from the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and Northern Water Tribe were gathering up their final few folks and making their way to their various forms of transportation. Zuko was among these people getting ready to leave.

"Aang!" Zuko cried out when he saw him. Aang made his way towards his friend while Katara was talking with some of the other guests.

"Sorry to see you go so quickly," Aang said.

"I know. I'd like to stay longer, but I've already spent too much time away over the last six months. Piandao will run me through if I stay away too much longer this time," Zuko said.

Aang giggled a bit. "Yeah, I can imagine he would. I'm sure he doesn't mind being in charge, but he always struck me as the type of guy who would rather be at his mansion in Shu Jing."

"Until next time?" Zuko said.

Aang wrapped one arm around Zuko and squeezed. "Absolutely. Until next time. Katara! Zuko's leaving!"

Katara ran over to her friend and gave him a bear hug. "I'll miss you."

Little by little, the guests left the Southern Water Tribe. By the end of the day, 'good-byes' and 'thank yous' had been said to most of the visitors who had come to the wedding celebration. At the end of the day, all that were left were Sokka, Suki, Youfeng, Meifeng, Haruko and Deshi.

That evening, dinner was held at Gran-Gran's place. All the remaining guests were invited to attend. It was a little tight, but they managed.

"So, where is everyone headed now?" asked Gran-Gran as she continued to stir the pot of soup on the stove.

"The four of us are headed to Kyoshi Island," Sokka answered as he pointed to Suki, Katara, and Aang.

"Now Katara, don't let your brother ruin your honeymoon….," Gran-Gran replied.

"Graaan!" Sokka retorted in false offense.

"…and the four of us are heading back to the Eastern Air Temple tomorrow," said Haruko, indicating herself, Deshi, Youfeng and Meifeng.

"You guys are going together?" asked Aang, surprised.

"We'll be flying," said Youfeng, "but we'll be tagging along with Deshi and Haruko for the most part. It makes for a better travel experience if you travel together."

"True," Aang agreed. "Plus you'll still get your glider practice in….actually, you'll get a lot _more_ glider practice in."

"We'll be experts before we even get back!" added Meifeng.

"Well, I don't know about all that," Aang said. "But the more practice you get the better you'll be. Are you ready to start training again, Meifeng?"

"Yes!" she answered. " I can't wait until you get back to the Eastern Air Temple so we can start again."

"It'll only be a few weeks," said Aang. "And you'll be en route most of that time anyway."

"So," Katara interjected changing the subject. "I've been so preoccupied with the wedding this past week. Anybody got any news to report that I haven't heard?"

"Fei Yen is looking good," remarked Suki. "What is she, about four months along?"

Katara thought for a moment. "That's about right," she said. "I know she was feeling a little sick when she was last at the Fire Nation for Zuko's wedding. So she's feeling better?"

"That's what she told me," said Suki. "She and Kuei are really excited about this baby."

"I heard Kuei talking with some of his staff while he was here. He's really taken charge of the Earth Kingdom," said Sokka. Aang noted this particularly because it would presumably be one less place on the map he'd have to be concerned with. Strong leadership can usually handle the issues of the day themselves whereas weak leadership usually requires intervention.

"That's good to hear. It's amazing how far he's come since I first saw him again at the Northern Air Temple," said Aang.

"So, did anyone get a chance to talk with Toph?" asked Katara. "I hardly saw her."

"Not really. She basically hung out with The Duke most of the time," remarked Sokka. "I saw Aunt Wu was here, too. I wonder if she gave any of her _famous_ predictions."

"Oh Sokka, I know you don't believe in her gift, but let it be, huh?" said Katara.

"Actually, she did give us a few predictions as a wedding gift," said Aang. "I'd like to keep them to myself, but let's just say that the world is heading in a good direction."

"That's good to hear," said Suki. "Better than the other alternative, isn't it?"

"She must've given you more than that," prodded Sokka. "'The world is headed in a good direction?' The way Katara was when we were in Makapu, she probably asked what she'll be having for dinner for the next 7 nights."

"Oh Sokka, give it a rest!" said Katara.

"Seriously. You were really into that stuff," said Sokka.

"She told us when Aang and I would have our first baby," blurted out Katara.

The entire room fell silent. All side conversations stopped. All heads turned towards the waterbender.

"What now?" said Sokka.

"Well….if she's right, Aang and I know when we will become parents," repeated Katara.

"…and when is that?" asked Sokka.

"Sokka! Can't we keep anything private?" Katara asked.

Aang laughed. "It's ok Katara. He just doesn't like the fact that we know something he doesn't."

Sokka's face fell into a mope as he finally came to the realization that this prediction was not going to be shared with him. Aang and Katara got up to check on Gran-Gran's progress in the kitchen.

Sokka shouted after them, "But I better be the first to know when she's pregnant!"

Katara turned, "Yes, Sokka, we'll be sure to send the first scroll to you."

"You're darned right!" Sokka said quietly to himself.

After dinner was eaten and the diners were milling about getting ready to leave, Gran-Gran and Master Pakku grabbed Suki and Sokka and asked them to stay behind. Aang noticed these covert gestures and asked Gran-Gran if he and Katara could hang back as well knowing what was about to happen.

Gran-Gran and Pakku took the four teens outside and walked to one of the newly built houses.

"Sokka and Suki, now that the wedding is over and many of the houses built to house guests are left empty, we wanted to offer to you two your pick for when you spend time here in the Southern Water Tribe," said Pakku.

"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Suki as she grabbed Kanna and gave her a hug.

"Can we have the one next to Katara's?" asked Sokka.

"Sokka! How about a 'thank you'?" said Suki.

"Oh yeah…um…..thank you. So can we have the one next to Katara's?" he asked again.

"Boy, you're hardly excited," noted Katara.

Aang looked at Sokka and put his finger up to his mouth to signal him to be quiet.

"It's just that….Aang already told me that I'd be getting one of the houses," said Sokka.

Aang squinched his eyes and hit himself in the middle of his forehead. "Thanks Sokka. I really appreciate your candor," said Aang.

Pakku turned and gave Aang a look. "Sorry," was all Aang could muster having told Sokka about this gift a few mornings ago.

"Yes, you may have the house next to Katara's," he said. Then he sighed.

"Thank you!" Suki reiterated once again to Gran-Gran and Pakku.

The two older folks then made their way back to their own house all the while having a heated discussion – probably about Sokka's reaction and seeming lack of gratitude.

"So where are you guys going to live?" asked Katara to her brother and his fiancée.

"We've talked about it a little," said Sokka. "We'll probably continue train with Master Piandao a little bit each year or two. We definitely want to visit you guys, Kyoshi and here a lot, too. But we're having a hard time deciding where we should stay full-time."

"Well, who says you have to pick?" asked Aang. "I mean, its just you two, at least for now. Why don't you just travel?"

"Hmmm….that's a thought," said Sokka.

"Aang's right. Until we have children, I don't see any reason to settle down just yet," said Suki. "We can travel to anywhere we want and make the decision where to plant roots later."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," said Sokka.

"Just make sure you two come to visit us," said Katara. "And keep us up on where you are."

"Of course we will," said Suki.


	34. Chapter 34

**16 months ASC**

The four headed back to the Eastern Air Temple did leave the next morning. The four remaining teens enjoyed the next few days and had some much needed "down time" from the whirlwind that had just occurred.

Sokka and Suki worked on their house to make it more their own. Aang and Katara helped clean up after the wedding and parties. All four enjoyed the company of their friends and family from the Southern Water Tribe. But soon, it was time to go.

Appa was loaded with the supplies they would need for the brief trip to Kyoshi Island and early one morning, not even a week after the wedding, they took off heading northeast.

That evening, they landed near the statue of Avatar Kyoshi.

When the town saw who had just come to visit, many of the residents came out to greet them.

"Suki!" was heard yelled by many of the children as they recognized one of their warrior elites had returned to her homeland. Suki had a tear in her eye as she was surrounded by children hugging her.

"Avatar Aang, it is a pleasant surprise to have you with us again" said a voice behind Aang. It was Oyaji, the leader of the village.

Aang bowed to Oyaji. "The pleasure is ours," he replied.

"What brings you hear to Kyoshi?" Oyaji asked. "Didn't you just get married? The Kyoshi warriors who attended your wedding aren't even back from the south pole yet."

"Yes," he replied. "We have good memories of Kyoshi and wanted to spend some time here as part of our honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" Oyaji remarked loudly. "You've chosen Kyoshi as your honeymoon location? We are truly honored, Avatar Aang. Please forgive me as I go make arrangements for your stay." With that Oyaji left the visitors.

Aang called after him, "Don't do anything special for us…we just want to relax!"

Sokka stayed with Suki in her Kyoshi residence while Oyaji made arrangements for Aang and Katara to stay at the local inn.

Two days later, the Kyoshi warriors who had traveled to the south pole returned and the entire group was back together again.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara were very much enjoying their "down time". Aang rode the giant koi fish again and even coaxed Katara to give it a try. She was actually pretty good – probably due to the fact that she was a Master Waterbender and could quickly manipulate the water around her. Even if she did fall off, she could quickly get right back on again.

One evening, the honeymooners were eating their dinner at the inn. Sokka entered with Suki, who was obviously upset. They took a seat, not with Aang and Katara, but at a table on the other side of the room.

"I wonder what's going on," remarked Katara, worried about her brother and good friend.

Aang looked over at the crying teen and his heart dropped. He hated to see someone in obvious pain over something.

Katara got up and approached the Sokka and Suki. Aang watched as she put her hand on Sokka's back and bent over to talk to him all the while Suki did not acknowledge her presence at all.

When she got back to Aang, Katara explained what was going on.

"They'll come over when Suki calms down a little bit," Katara said.

"What's going on?" asked Aang.

"She just met with the Kyoshi Warriors and told them she was not coming back," explained Katara.

"Oh," was all Aang could say at first. After a short pause, he continued, "That must have been one of the hardest decisions she's ever had to make. I can only imagine how devastated she is. She has two paths of happiness in front of her and they are not compatible with one another so she had to choose which one she wanted to follow."

Sokka and Suki then got up and made their way to Aang and Katara's table. Suki was wiping the tears away from her red, puffy eyes.

"Are you ok, Suki?" Katara asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I knew this day would come eventually, but I guess I couldn't handle the emotions of the actual moment," said Suki.

"So what happened?" asked Katara. "Are they angry?"

"Oh heavens, no," said Suki. "The girls were great. They completely understood why I did what I did. I'm free to visit and train with them anytime. I'm just not officially a Kyoshi Warrior anymore. I'll be ok. It was just the stress of getting it out." _I am not a Kyoshi Warrior anymore, _she repeated to herself mentally, letting it sink in.

Katara leaned over and gave Suki a hug. "If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thanks, Katara. I'll be fine. Look at what I chose – marrying Sokka, sword-fighting, and traveling the world."

Just then, one of the villagers stuck their head into the inn. "Avatar Aang, there's a Fire Nation ship docking in the bay."

"What on earth - ?" Aang stated aloud.

The four teens got up from the table and headed outside to assess what was going on. The Fire Nation was no longer an 'enemy', but the fact that an unknown, unscheduled Fire Nation ship was now on their shores still raised the suspicion of the Kyoshi residents.

Aang, Katara, Sokka and Suki saw the Kyoshi Warriors jogging down to the end of town to meet Oyaji who was already standing near the dock. They joined them and the entire party as they walked to greet the ship.

A plume of steam was seen as the front of the ship opened to reveal a gangplank. Two figures appeared at the top of the gangplank and they started to walk towards the waiting parties on the shore.

Aang stepped forward first and approached he two Fire Nation citizens.

"Fire Lady Ursa," he stated as he bowed.

"Avatar Aang, how nice it is to see you again," Ursa replied.

Katara looked over at the Kyoshi Warriors and spotted one of them eyeing up the other Fire Nation visitor, unsure how to react.

"If you would give me one moment, Ursa," Aang stated and he turned to talk alone with Oyaji.

"Oyaji, the visitors are Fire Lady Ursa, the Fire Lord's mother and, uh….Azula, his sister," Aang explained. "It's a long story that I can explain later, but for now, I ask that you warmly welcome them to Kyoshi."

"But Aang, it's _Azula_," said Oyaji.

"I will personally vouch for the safety of the village," said Aang.

Oyaji gave Aang a look. "Very well," Oyaji said. He turned to the visitors and approached them, putting on a smile. "Fire Lady Ursa and Princess Azula, welcome to Kyoshi. What can we do for you?"

"We are very sorry that we arrived unannounced. I am very well aware that my daughter's reputation precedes her. She has business to accomplish here on Kyoshi. Sir, would you be so kind as to arrange housing for us. We will only be here for a couple of days," said Ursa.

Oyaji bowed. "With pleasure," he stated to the visitors.

With the situation diffused for now, the entire group started walking towards the village proper. Aang took Oyaji aside and told him more of the details he knew about Azula's rehabilitation to try to calm his fears. Aang reassured him, yet again, that he would keep a close watch on Azula during her stay.

Oyaji took Ursa and Azula to the same inn where Aang and Katara were staying. Aang felt good about the decision to house them so closely to him – it would be easier to monitor Azula that way.

Before letting them go to their room for the night, Aang pulled Ursa aside and made plans to meet her before breakfast the next morning. Ursa understood the need to meet and agreed.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Ursa met in the dining room early the next morning.

"Ursa," Aang began, "I have given these people my word that Azula would cause no harm. Please tell me that she is at a point in her rehabilitation where I don't have to worry about her."

"Avatar Aang, I can assure you that I would not have permitted her to make this journey if I didn't truly feel she was ready. She has made great strides in her recovery. Is she perfect? No, but perfection is a very high standard for anyone to attain," said Ursa.

"Understandable. May I ask what this journey is all about?" asked Aang.

"Of course. As part of Azula's recovery, she is making amends to those she has harmed," replied Ursa.

_That'll take years_, thought Aang. "I don't think she's ever been on Kyoshi before though. Who is here that she needs to see?"

"Ty Lee," replied Ursa. "She will probably not be able to make amends to _everyone_ she has harmed, but our goal is to seek out those people she was especially close with and ask for their forgiveness. Mai, Zuko and I have already accepted her apologies. She has apologized to many of those who reside in the Fire Nation. We are now aiming for those who are not in the Fire Nation starting with Ty Lee."

"Ahh, now I understand," remarked Aang.

"If you have any doubts, I invite you to dine with us at breakfast. You will notice an immediate difference. And don't be shy in bringing this up with her. Her talking about it helps her own her actions and eventually, put them behind her"

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea," said Aang.

Aang returned to his room and found Katara had gotten up since he left.

"Aang, where were you?" she asked.

"I had a conversation with Ursa downstairs," he replied. "About Azula."

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"I think so. You and I are having breakfast with Ursa and Azula in about an hour," Aang said.

"We are, are we?" asked Katara.

"I need you to do me a favor. Pay special attention to Azula during breakfast. If she looks at her sausage wrong I want to know about it," he said. "I know I won't be able to catch everything. I need to be sure she is really ok before I can let my guard down even the slightest bit."

"If she smirks crooked I will make sure you know about it," answered Katara.

An hour later, the four met for breakfast.

"Good morning, Ursa. Good morning…uh…Azula," said Katara.

"Good morning, Katara," said Azula in a very normal, sincere tone.

_Come to think of it, I don't think I've heard her speak without being condescending or sarcastic,_ thought Aang. _This is different._

"How are you two this morning?" asked Aang.

"We're just fine, Avatar Aang," answered Ursa.

"Please, just call me Aang," he said.

"Aang it is," said Ursa.

"Mom, I'm going to ask the innkeeper for some juice," Azula said to Ursa.

"We're going to need four glasses, I'll help you," said Ursa, who then got up with her daughter and made her way towards the innkeeper who was in the kitchen.

Katara leaned over to Aang. "This is awkward," she said.

Ursa and Azula soon returned to the table with the juices.

"Thank you," replied both Aang and Katara.

An uncomfortable silence ensued. It seemed to last for much longer than its actual duration. All that was heard was the occasional sip or slurp from the meal that was being eaten.

Finally, having enough of it, Azula broke the tension with some small talk. "I hear that there is a creature called the Unagi who lives in the water near here."

Aang looked at Katara, then over at Azula. "Yes there is. We've seen it a couple of times. I don't think we'd care if we ever saw it again though."

"That bad, huh?" remarked Azula, laughing lightly.

"Let's just say, we've had better days than the one where we ran into the Unagi," said Katara.

Silence set in again.

Azula, again, started the conversation, though this time she addressed the true issue that was at hand. "Aang and Katara, I wanted to apologize for my behavior before the war ended. I was not a nice person and I am trying very hard to change my ways."

Taking Ursa's earlier advice not to avoid the situation, Aang decided it would be best to talk to her about the Azula he once knew. "Azula, what's happened to you since the war ended? I know Katara and Zuko defeated you, but what happened after that?"

"Well, that was not a time in my life I care to revisit too often. I kind of 'lost it'. I started seeing things. I became paranoid….and dangerous. My defeat was just a matter of time, but ultimately it set me on the right path."

_She sounds like Zuko used to_, Aang thought.

"I thought I was alone. I thought I couldn't trust anyone and that no one cared about me. But I also thought I was invincible and nearly perfect. After Katara and Zuko defeated me, I was put into a cooled prison cell so I couldn't firebend to any great degree." She paused. "No one really came to see me at first - and I don't blame them. If I had been Zuko, I would have been quite angry with me, too."

"So what happened then?" asked Katara.

"Mom came. She opened my eyes about what I was and what needed to happen. She showed her love for me. I always thought she hated me – thought I was a monster – but I saw that it wasn't true. Pretty soon, Zuko came. He told me stories about his transformation and that he hoped I would go through one also. Then Mai, who explained that she didn't hate me either. The more we met and talked with the doctors about – well, just about everything – the more my eyes were opened about how wrong I was before. I knew I didn't want to be how I was before ever again."

"So why are you here?" asked Aang.

"I'm here to visit Ty Lee. I need to talk to her to set things straight between us," said Azula_. I wronged her in so many ways_, she thought to herself.

"When are you going to meet with her?" asked Katara.

"I was hoping you two could help me out with that. I saw the look in her eyes when we landed. She is not pleased to see me. I don't blame her. But I would like to talk to her. Can you arrange a meeting for me?" Azula asked.

"We can try," said Katara.

"I'd be grateful," said Azula.

"Let's tentatively set the meeting for this afternoon at the Kyoshi Warrior's training area," said Aang.

"I'll be there," said Azula.

OlOlOlOlOlO

After breakfast, Aang and Katara headed towards the building where they knew the Kyoshi Warriors would be. As predicted, all the Warriors were in there going through their warm-up maneuvers. Ty Lee spotted the two visitors and immediately knew they were there to see her. She broke from formation and walked over to the building entrance to talk with Aang and Katara.

"Ty Lee - ," started Aang.

"I don't want to see her. I don't care what she wants, she has disrupted my life enough," Ty Lee interrupted.

"Ty Lee, hear us out," said Katara.

"Why should I? I'm perfectly happy here as a Kyoshi Warrior. The only thing Azula ever wants is…..well, she only appears when she wants _something_. I'm not interested," said Ty Lee.

"What if I told you she's changed?" asked Aang.

"Oh yeah. Azula. _Change_. That's rich," Ty Lee answered. "She has been the same person ever since we were little girls at the Fire Nation Academy for Girls."

"I'll be honest with you. I haven't talked with her that much, but the little I have I can tell she's different. And Zuko, Ursa, and Mai all say she is better," said Aang.

"Huh," said Ty Lee weighing the new information she was just told.

"We wanted to bring her by this afternoon. Nothing special. Just a quick conversation. Ty Lee, you are happy. By talking with her, you have a chance of now making her happy. Please consider it," said Aang.

Ty Lee pondered for a moment. "I will be here training with the Kyoshi Warriors this afternoon. You are free to go anywhere you want on this island….there's nothing preventing you from bringing her here. I just can't guarantee a happy ending."

"And I won't ask you to. All I ask is for a chance to talk and an open mind," said Aang.

Ty Lee got back into the formation and continued her exercises as if the conversation she had just had didn't happen.

"Aang, do you think this is a good idea? Ty Lee still seems pretty upset," said Katara.

"I understand both sides of the issue," he said. "I think it will be for the better if the two girls meet."

"I hope you are right," said Katara.

OlOlOlOlOlO

After lunch, Ursa, Azula, Aang and Katara went back to the training area of the Kyoshi Warriors to let Azula speak with Ty Lee. Ty Lee had made no special plans for the visit – she was in her formation once again with the ladies practicing her fan work.

Azula stepped inside the building leaving the other three to watch from outside. Still, Ty Lee made no attempts to approach or acknowledge her past friend.

After a few minutes of being ignored, Azula finally spoke up. "Ty Lee, would you mind if we spoke alone for a moment?"

"I have nothing to say to you," replied Ty Lee.

"Please, Ty Lee. I want to make amends…," said Azula.

"If you wanted forgiveness from me, I would have suggested that you never come to see me again," said Ty Lee. "Anytime you are in my life, I have to drop everything that I love and cater completely to your whims."

"I've changed. Please, come speak with me," said Azula.

"You're not going to leave until I come talk to you, are you?" asked Ty Lee.

"No," answered Azula.

"Very well," Ty Lee sighed as she stepped out of formation.

"Ty Lee, you don't have to…," said one of the other Kyoshi Warriors.

Ty Lee put up her hand to quiet her concerned friend. "It's going to be fine," Ty Lee said. She then gestured for Azula to follow her out one of the other doors of the building. They disappeared into the surrounding woods to avoid prying eyes and ears.

The Kyoshi Warriors continued with their practice. Ursa, Aang, and Katara were left to stare at each other for many minutes.

Then they heard the scream.

Ursa immediately turned to Aang and Katara. "Stay here. Do _not_ follow me," she emphatically said.

Ursa then ran into the woods where she knew the two teens had walked. The Kyoshi Warriors had stopped their practice and also attempted to follow Ursa into the woods. They elicited the same response. "Please, stay here. Do _not_ come into the forest," Ursa urged. They stopped right on the edge of the trees against their better judgment.

Again, nothing was heard or seen for quite a while.

Then, a second scream. No one waited this time – Aang, Katara, and the Kyoshi Warriors all ran into the woods. In only a few seconds, just out of eyesight from the training building, they came across Ursa and Ty Lee. Ty Lee sat on the ground holding Ursa in her arms.


	35. Chapter 35

"What happened?" Aang shouted at Ty Lee, who was in tears.

"She just – lost it," Ty Lee answered. "She was completely civil at first, but because I would't forgive her, she just – _cracked_!"

Katara bent down to examine Ursa.

"She blasted a fire ball towards me. I cried out when it hit my leg. I wasn't expecting it. Ursa showed up and got between Azula and me. She – she took the full brunt of a stream of fire from Azula," said Ty Lee.

"She's pretty badly hurt, but she's going to make it. Ty Lee, why don't you let one of the other Kyoshi Warriors hold her," said Katara, who continued to work on Ursa's burns. Although they were painful, the good news for Ursa was that the injury had just occurred. They could be more easily healed than an injury that had not been attended to as quickly.

"Where's Azula?" Aang asked.

"I – I don't know. She ran. That way," Ty Lee said pointing down the hill.

Aang ran after the firebender to see if he could find her. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't expecting anything like this to happen and his staff was sitting back at the inn.

Aang searched for about an hour and, having found nothing, returned to the center of town. As he expected, both Ty Lee and Ursa had been taken to one of the town's buildings that served as an infirmary.

"I couldn't find her," he stated to those who were sitting in the room. "If your ship is still here, she couldn't have gotten too far. This is an island, after all. How are you two?"

"I'm fine," said Ty Lee. "With Katara's quick work, I'm as good as new."

"I'm not so lucky, but – I'd rather it be me than anyone else," said Ursa.

"What happened, Ursa?" Aang asked needing an explanation.

"A relapse of sorts, I would imagine. Like I said, she isn't perfect by any means. She has a horrible temper. She has learned to keep it under control for the most part, but there are times when it flares. It has been so long since the last tantrum that I really thought we were beyond it. My apologies, Avatar Aang," said Ursa.

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone?" asked Aang. "I need to find her. I gave Oyaji my word that Azula would not be a problem and frankly, I'd call this a problem."

"I'm not sure," said Ursa. "If we were back in the Fire Nation, I would have guessed she would have retreated to the garden. The tranquility of the palace garden always calmed her down the fastest."

"This whole island is a garden!" said Aang in frustration. _Ugh!_

"Aang, do you want my help?" asked Katara.

"No, Katara. I'll ask Suki, Sokka, and the Kyoshi Warriors for their help. You need to stay here with Ursa to make sure she doesn't take a turn for the worse,' said Aang.

Aang gathered up the search party and they headed out across the entire expanse of the island. There were still a few hours of daylight remaining and he really hoped they would find _something_ before night fell.

Aang had picked up his glider from the inn and scanned the island from the sky. Sokka took Appa and did the same. All the others were on the ground searching for Azula. Nothing was found.

Just as the sun was starting to set, Aang decided to take a brief rest. He swooped down to a large rock – one of many protruding from a nearby hillside. From the hillside, he scanned the scene in front of him. Every once in a while he caught some of the brush moving only to see a person dressed in green emerge for a split second before heading back into the tree cover. He looked up – the sun was definitely setting. _Only a little more daylight…._

Over his left shoulder, he heard something. He turned to see a girl in green not too far away. Aang decided to talk to the Warrior to see if she had heard anything about the search from anyone else. He started to make his way towards her.

A few minutes later, as he got closer, he finally got a good look at her headdress and recognized it as Ty Lee. "Ty Lee!" he called out. He waved his hands, but she did not see him – she continued her walking and searching oblivious to Aang's presence.

He continued to pursue her through the brush and trees, but then she stopped appearing to him altogether. _Where did she go?_ he asked himself.

Aang continued to move in her general direction. Then he heard voices. And crying. They were coming from a small cave he had just came across in his pursuit of Ty Lee. He stopped and listened.

"I'm so sorry, Ty Lee. I'm so sorry. I can't believe what I did," said a sobbing voice. It was Azula.

"Azula, get hold of yourself," said Ty Lee, who had obviously heard her and entered the cave.

"I'll never firebend again! My mother! What did I do to my mother?" she cried out. "She'll never forgive me!"

"Shhhh. Azula, calm down," Ty Lee calmly stated.

The uncontrollable sobbing soon waned to silence, as if a mother was comforting her upset child. Aang peeked into the entrance. Ty Lee had Azula's head in her lap and her arms were wrapped around her torso. Both girls were gently rocking back and forth.

"Your mother is _fine_," said Ty Lee. "She _will _forgive you."

"She's…ok?" asked Azula.

"Yes. Do you remember that "Southern Water Tribe peasant" that you used to hate so much? Well...she saved your mother," said Ty Lee.

"S-She did?" Azula asked out loud, more for her benefit than anyone else's.

"This is why I didn't want to talk to you today, Azula. I'm beyond these petty things of yours. I don't hate anyone just because of where they were born, or what kind of bending they can do. Do you understand where I'm coming from now?" asked Ty Lee.

Azula thought for a few moments and had an epiphany of sorts. "I owe her so much for saving my mother," said Azula. "Oh my gosh…" and she put both of her hands up to her mouth as the realization took hold.

"Your mother is in the infirmary recovering. She'll have some scars, but she'll be just fine. I think you need to come with me to talk with her," said Ty Lee.

"Will you come with me?" Azula asked.

Ty Lee smiled. "Of course I will."

Aang saw that the two girls were going to emerge from the cave so he took off on his glider once again and started to look for the other members of the search party to tell them that the search was over.

When Aang finally arrived back at the infirmary, he peeked into the window where Ursa had been laying. Ursa was still in her bed and she was now holding Azula, curled up next to her. Ursa was smiling ever so slightly.

Katara looked up and saw Aang and left to go speak with him. "Great job," she said. "Looks like everything is going to be ok."

"What's going on?" he asked, not yet knowing what had happened when Azula first talked with her mother.

"Ty Lee brought Azula into the infirmary. Azula burst into tears and begged her mother for forgiveness. Ursa immediately forgave her and they've been like _that_ ever since."

Aang and Katara were still talking when Ty Lee walked out of the infirmary.

"Ty Lee, what happened?" asked Aang, pretending that he hadn't been eavesdropping outside the cave the entire time.

"I found her in a cave up there," she said as she pointed up to a hill outside of town. "At first, I planned to leave her there and just call everyone else in to help bring her back to town. But then I saw her. She looked…._pathetic_. I just felt so sorry for her. She was uncontrollably sobbing. I could tell how much remorse she was feeling for what she did. She _apologized_. Just by seeing her for that one second, I could tell that she _had_ changed. So I decided to help her. That's what friends do, right?"

"So you guys are friends again?" asked Katara.

"Well, I guess I wouldn't go that far quite yet. Hopefully we will be again. But for now, let's just say that my mind is more open to the possibility," said Ty Lee. "Definitely more so than earlier today."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Azula and Ursa left on their Fire Nation ship two days later. They were completely fine and Azula had earned a hug good-bye and a "see you soon" from Ty Lee before she left.

Aang decided that it would be prudent to send a messenger hawk to Zuko to let him know what had happened over the past few days.

_Zuko,_

_Katara and I are here on Kyoshi Island with Sokka and Suki. Your mother and sister arrived a few days ago. Azula wanted to make peace with Ty Lee. Unfortunately, Ty Lee was not very receptive and Azula "lost it" and attacked both Ty Lee and your mother. _

_Don't panic - both are now fine. Ty Lee was healed almost immediately by Katara, but unfortunately, your mother did take the brunt of the attack. She will definitely have some scarring. So the next time you see her, you can asked her to explain everything that happened to get all the details I am leaving off this scroll.._

_By the time they left, Azula was fine with both your mother and Ty Lee. Your mom says it was one of Azula's temper outbursts, but Azula has profusely apologized and has made amends._

_I wanted to send this to you just so you weren't completely surprised when you saw your mother the next time. _

_Aang_

_P.S. – We're headed for Ember Island in about 1-2 weeks. Thanks again for the generous offer._

"Did you write that scroll yet?" asked Katara from the next room.

"I'm writing it now," replied Aang.

Katara appeared the room's doorway. "Aang, I think I'm done with Kyoshi for now."

"As much as I like it here, I think I'm ready to go, too," replied Aang. "We'll leave tomorrow. I'll send a note to Oyaji to let him know we're leaving and thank him for his hospitality."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, the honeymooners stood in front of a fully-packed Appa, and said good-bye to Sokka and Suki.

"We're off to Ba Sing Se," said Katara. "We'll be there for about a week and a half, and then we're heading to Ember Island."

"We're going to stick around here for a little bit," said Sokka. "Suki is really enjoying being home again. I think we'll be here for a month or two and then head back to the south pole to get ready for the wedding."

"Sounds good," said Aang. "Hang in there, brother. We'll see you again soon." They shook hands forearm-to-forearm.

"'Bye Sokka," said Katara, as she leaped into his arms for a hug.

They climbed aboard. "Yip-Yip!" Aang shouted and they were off to Ba Sing Se.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It took Appa one very long day to make his way from Kyoshi Island to Ba Sing Se. Aang decided it would be best to spontaneously drop-in on Iroh rather than on the Earth King now that he was back in the city; Iroh was probably much less busy or overscheduled.

Appa landed outside of Iroh's tea shop and the couple walked in. They spotted Iroh wearing his usual apron serving tea to his customers.

"Iroh!" Katara yelled.

The old man looked up to see both of his young friends. "Katara and Aang, how _are_ you two? So you're married now? I am so sorry that I missed the wedding." Iroh grabbed each of the teens in one arm and held them for a few seconds.

"How are things here, Iroh?" Aang asked.

"Oh, very good. My business is booming! I am thinking about opening up a new tea shop in the middle ring near the university. I hear the students really like their tea," said Iroh.

"We're planning on visiting Ba Sing Se for about a week. Do you have room for us upstairs?" asked Katara.

"As a matter of fact, your usual room is open. I'm so happy that you've come to visit!" said Iroh.

The three friends took a seat at one of the tables in the tea shop as some of Iroh's employees took up his slack for the time being. They chatted for about an hour catching up on all that had happened since they last saw him – some he knew about and some he didn't depending on if anyone had dispatched a messenger hawk to him or not. Most of Iroh's updates were local gossip, but there was a little about how Kuei was doing as the Earth King.

"He's been doing a pretty good job," remarked Iroh. "I honestly thought he would struggle more than he has been. Fei Yen is his rock and she helps him a lot."

They also discussed how the airbender training was coming along at the Eastern Air Temple. And, of course, the details of the wedding and their stop at Kyoshi Island.

"I have known Azula since she was born. I'm not sure I could ever trust her completely no matter who was vouching for her. It means a lot that Ursa thinks she is mostly cured, but still...it's _Azula_," said Iroh.

"I know what you mean," said Katara.

"At least everything worked out on Kyoshi," said Iroh.

"You can say that again," replied Aang.

"Hey Iroh, do you have some paper I can send a message on?" asked Katara. "I want to tell Fei Yen and Kuei we're in town."

"Of course," answered Iroh, who then got up and went in the back to find some paper.

"It'll be good to see them again, though I agree sending them a message first would be smart so we don't interrupt their schedules," said Aang.

Katara started writing…

_Fei Yen,_

_It hasn't been that long since we last caught up at the wedding. I'm just sending you this note to let you and Kuei know that Aang and I decided to drop by Ba Sing Se for a week or so as part of our honeymoon. If you have time, we'd love to see you._

_Katara_

"That should do it," said Katara. She then left the Jasmine Dragon to find a messenger shop to get someone to deliver her message to the palace.

_Yawn!_ "I'm beat," said Aang. "It's been a long day. I'm going to get our stuff from Appa and head upstairs for the night. See you tomorrow, Iroh?"

"I'm here every day," said Iroh. "I would love to see how you _wouldn't _see me tomorrow."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara had stayed up a little late the night before as they so often did, so they were a startled when Iroh came knocking at their door in the early morning.

"Aang! Katara! Wake up!" he shouted as he knocked.

Aang threw on his pants so he would be decent when he answered the door.

"Iroh….honeymooon?" he said as he rubbed one eye with a fist.

"Aang, I'm so sorry, but I must talk to you both," Iroh said frantically.

Aang opened the door so that Katara, who was still in bed, could be seen.

"There is a messenger downstairs looking for Katara. Please come quick. I think it's important," said Iroh.

"S-sure, we'll be right down," said Katara.

The couple threw on a set of clothes (definitely nothing fancy) and ran down the stairs.

The messenger standing there was obviously from the palace, dressed in very fancy garb.

"Katara?" he nodded towards the girl running down the stairs.

"Yes, I'm Katara," she said.

"I have been dispatched to bring you to the palace immediately," the messenger said.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say, but I will tell you that it is extremely important that you come with me now," he stated.

"Fine. Let's go," she replied.

As the palace was not very far away (both the Jasmine Dragon and the palace being in the upper ring), Aang, Katara and the messenger jogged on foot to the palace. The messenger moved them along quickly through all the security measures that had been put back in place since Kuei's return. They got closer and closer to the King's private quarters and saw Chao standing outside one of the rooms.

"Aang and Katara, we received your message late last night that you were in Ba Sing Se," Chao stated with a long look on his face.

"What's going on?" Katara asked.

Chao simply motioned for the duo to enter the room. The room had a window, but it was mostly dark due to drawn curtains. There were three people inside the room, Kuei, Fei Yen, and another woman tending to Fei Yen.

"Katara, I'm so glad you are here," said Kuei.

"Yes, everyone seems to be happy I'm here, but I still have no idea what is going on," Katara answered.

"My apologies. Fei Yen is very sick and I need to humbly ask you if you would use your healing abilities to see what's wrong and perhaps, cure her," said Kuei.

"Of course," said Katara, who now wore a look of concern.

"This is our midwife. She has been by Fei Yen's side for about a week now tending to her. Her illness is affecting the pregnancy," said Kuei.

Katara sat on the edge of Fei Yen's bed.

"She has had abdominal pain and intense bleeding," said the midwife. "In addition, she has a high fever."

Katara took the water out of her pouch and applied her water-covered hands to different spots of Fei Yen's body. As she examined Fei Yen, she turned to the midwife. "She's about five months now, isn't she?"

"Yes, that's about right," said the midwife. "If we had to deliver the baby today, it would probably not survive."

Katara took her hands away from Fei Yen and bended her water back into her pouch.

"What did you see? Is everything going to be alright?" asked Kuei.

Katara turned and gave Aang a knowing look. There was obviously some news that she didn't want to be the one to tell.

"Kuei, both Fei Yen and the baby are very sick," said Katara. "I can't seem to find the origin of the illness, but I can tell you that their systems are very suppressed at this point. You may need to consider…," she paused. "Term –"

"Don't even say it!" yelled Kuei.

Aang grabbed the Earth King and held him back by his shoulders. "I know you are upset, Kuei. But now is a time to hold use your brain more than your heart," said Aang.

"There is obviously some sort of interaction between Fei Yen and the baby that is causing the illness. I can only guess at this point, but ending the pregnancy may be the only way to save Fei Yen," said Katara.

"Never," came a faint voice from the bed.

Kuei sat on the bed by Fei Yen's side. "You are absolutely right," he said to Fei Yen. He turned to Katara, "We will never willingly hurt our child."

"Ok, ok. I just wanted to present all the options," said Katara. "I don't think I could hurt a child either if it were me. But to be fair, I had to let you know of that option. I can try to treat Fei Yen and monitor her and the baby to the best of my ability, but I can't make any guarantees. Treatment will not be easy considering I can't seem to pinpoint what is causing this."

"We understand," answered Kuei. "We appreciate your willingness to help."

With that, Katara got to work.


	36. Chapter 36

Over the next few days, Katara continued to visit Fei Yen several times per day to check on her. Every time she examined Fei Yen, she saw virtually the same thing – extreme illness with no assignable origin, and unfortunately, it seemed to be getting worse. On the first day she saw her, Fei Yen was at least conscious. Now, she was in such a state of weakness that she hardly moved or spoke at all.

"I'm really worried about her, Aang," Katara remarked when she concluded one of her healing sessions.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Aang. "I am a waterbender, after all."

"Hmmm….well, I guess we could both try to heal her together," remarked Katara. "Perhaps we could slow down….whatever it is that is making her sick."

That evening, both Aang and Katara stood on either side of Fei Yen. Katara walked Aang through the healing process even though he had never attempted it before.

"You simply concentrate on their chi paths," she explained. "Depending on what the illness or injury is and what it was caused by, you can zoom in to the exact area causing the problem. Most of the time it becomes very clear to you what is going on. For example, in the case of a broken bone, you can virtually see the break itself by the way the energy flows or doesn't flow in the area."

Aang followed Katara's lead and put his hands on Fei Yen's core. Katara's water gently flowed across all four of their hands and began to glow. Both benders had their eyes closed and were concentrating intently. The additional healing power did make things clearer to Katara, but alas, she still had no luck determining what was going on.

"Did you see the baby?" Katara asked Aang.

"Yes, I did," answered Aang. "I saw that the source of her illness is the baby – there is nothing else wrong with her, but I cannot see what the problem is.

"It's so frustrating! It looks just like a normal pregnancy!" Katara vented.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Aang.

"Help me send more of her energy towards the womb," said Katara. "That will at least help the baby survive."

"Is that a good idea?" asked Aang. "She's so weak already."

"It's the only thing I can think of to keep the baby alive from day to day. I know her and Kuei want that baby to survive," said Katara.

They touched Fei Yen's body again and moved more of Fei Yen's energy towards the baby. When they broke contact, both were breathing a little heavy.

"That's not as easy as you make it seem sometimes," said Aang to Katara.

"I've just had more practice," she replied.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Another week or so flew by and the healing rituals continued. Although Aang and Katara did get an opportunity so spend some time alone, and with various friends of theirs, it wasn't a very happy time or place considering what their good friends Fei Yen and Kuei were going through.

As they were lying in bed going to sleep one evening, Aang came to a sudden realization. He sat up quickly. "I wonder if anyone in the spirit world could tell me anything?" he said.

Katara was nearly asleep when this happened. She turned over to face him. "Do you think so, Aang?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?" he replied.

"I guess not," she said.

"I'll give it a try first thing tomorrow morning," he said while lying back down.

"Why not now?" Katara asked.

"It's much easier to get to the spirit world when I'm in a spiritual place," said Aang. "Don't be worried if I'm not here when you wake up tomorrow – I'll be taking a walk to the Avatar Temple in Ba Sing Se."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning Aang did just as he said he would. When the sun just started peeking into their room in the Jasmine Dragon, Aang sprang to life and headed towards the temple. He entered and passed one of the workers of the temple on his way to the sanctuary.

"Hi – I just need to use your sanctuary for a few hours!" he yelled and kept walking. The worker merely stared with his mouth half open at who had just walked past him and the non-chalantness of his comments.

Aang found the sanctuary and began to meditate. Almost immediately, he found himself in the spirit world. _I'm so glad this temple is in Ba Sing Se_, he thought to himself. _It makes this so much easier._

He started walking around the swampy areas of the spirit world, finding nothing for quite a while. He steadily pressed forward moving from areas that he recognized from earlier visits to areas that he did not recognize at all. He felt himself drawn forward by some unknown force. _Where am I going?_ he thought.

He came to an area where vines were hanging down completely blocking Aang from the pathway he needed to follow. Gently, he moved them aside with his arm and took a few additional steps. Aang's surroundings were, once again, familiar to him.

_The Northern Water Tribe? I don't understand. This is the sacred oasis in the Northern Water Tribe!_

"You are correct, Avatar," said a voice near the koi pond.

Aang followed the voice to the koi pond and just as he reached it, Princess Yue appeared, floating above the pond.

"Why did you bring me here?" asked Aang.

"I have been permitted to show you the path that will answer all your questions. You have now seen and heard as much as I am allowed to share with you. Good-bye, Aang," Yue said to Aang and dissipated.

"What? How..?" yelled Aang into the air as he circled in place, not quite knowing who he was yelling to. The world around Aang then got fuzzy and he felt like he was being pulled from behind. In a few blinks of his eyes, Aang's eyes became clear and he was looking at the sanctuary in the Avatar Temple once again.

He hesitated for a few seconds as he tried to absorb everything that had just happened. Once he was sure where he was, he got up quickly and starting running back towards the Jasmine Dragon. _It's evening! Was I gone that long?_

Once he reached the inside of the tea shop, he found Katara and Iroh having a conversation over tea and a friendly game of Pai Sho.

"Aang, you made it back!" she shouted to him when he first entered the room.

"Yeah, I made it back. It always feels like I'm not gone very long at all, but then when I get back, it's been a lot longer than it seems," said Aang.

"Did you learn anything?" asked Iroh.

"I think so. I may need your guys help figuring out what I was told though," said Aang. "I started in the usual spot when I entered the spirit world, but as I walked, my surroundings got less and less familiar. I pushed some vines aside and when I stepped forward, I was in the Northern Water Tribe oasis."

"Was anyone there?" asked Katara.

"Yes," answered Aang. "I heard a voice confirming what I was thinking – that I was in the Northern Water Tribe. When I got close to the koi pond, Princess Yue appeared and told me she was 'permitted to show me the path that will answer my questions' and that I had already seen and heard what she could share with me."

"Well, that sounds pretty simple," remarked Iroh.

"What? She didn't share anything with me!" replied Aang in frustration.

"You are wrong, Aang," said Iroh. "Where did you go and who did you see?"

"I was at the Northern Water Tribe oasis and I saw Princess Yue," said Aang.

"Exactly," said Iroh.

Katara's eyes lit up. "Aang, what happened to Princess Yue when we were at the north pole?"

"Uh, Katara, you were there. She died to save the moon spirit," answered Aang.

"That's true, but _how_ did she save the moon spirit. Why was _she_ the only one who could do it?" answered Katara.

"She gave back the life that was given to her as a baby," said Aang. His eyes now got big. "I get it! The moon spirit could save Kuei and Fei Yen's baby just like it saved Yue when she was born!"

"That's what I think Yue is telling us to do," said Katara.

"Ok, here's the question though. How do we get Fei Yen's baby, who is dying by the way, to the Northern Water Tribe?" asked Aang.

"I think we need to bring Fei Yen up there while she is still pregnant. Think about it, you and I are the only ones effectively treating her now. We'd be there on the trip and could take care of her along the way. It won't take that long on Appa," said Katara.

"We'd better get prepared then," said Aang. "I'll go to the palace and speak with Kuei and you get our things packed up. We leave first thing in the morning."

Aang ran back out the door and headed for the palace. Most guards and employees merely acknowledged his presence as he rushed by knowing full well who it was.

"Kuei! Are you around?" Aang yelled out when he approached the living area of the palace.

"Aang, the Earth King is with his wife," remarked Chao, sticking his head out from a nearby room.

"Thanks, Chao," said Aang as he turned to walk to where he and Katara had been treating Fei Yen for weeks.

He slowly opened the door and closed it behind him so as not to disturb Fei Yen.

"Kuei," Aang whispered at the man who was looking at his wife. "I've been to the spirit world to ask about this…..situation."

"What did they say?" asked Kuei, still looking at Fei Yen with great worry.

"I'm not sure if you are going to like what they told me. Katara and I need to take Fei Yen to the Northern Water Tribe," answered Aang.

Kuei paused. "Is there nothing else you can do here?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. Katara and I keep working on her and yet the situation seems to be getting worse and worse. I'm afraid both Fei Yen and your unborn child will not hold on without some special intervention," said Aang. "The princess of the Northern Water Tribe was saved by the moon spirit when she was born. We believe that the spirits are telling us to go there for the very same reason."

"Very well," said Kuei. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," answered Aang.

"You know, of course, I cannot leave Ba Sing Se. I leave her and the baby's lives in your hands…," said Kuei. "Please bring them back to me."

"I understand and I will," said Aang as he turned to walk away. "Katara and I will be back with Appa in the morning to get Fei Yen."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The trip to the Northern Water Tribe took Appa one very long day, but the group made it no worse for wear. Fei Yen was wrapped up in blankets on the back of Appa's saddle and didn't appear to move during the entire trip. Aang and Katara attended to her three times over the course of that day to make sure everything remained stable.

Appa landed in front of the palace. As Aang and Katara prepared to dismount, a few guards jogged down to greet them.

"Avatar Aang, we were not expecting you," said one of the guards.

"Is Chief Arnook around?" Aang asked, jumping down from Appa's head.

"Yes. He is inside the palace right now," said the guard.

"Please rush in and tell him that Katara and I are here and we need an audience with him at his earliest convenience," said Aang.

The soldier bowed and rushed off into the palace.

Within minutes, Chief Arnook emerged from the front doors of his home.

"Avatar Aang, it is an honor to have our hero back again," said Chief Arnook.

"I'm sorry to say this is not a casual visit," said Aang. "The Earth King's wife is very ill and Yue asked me to bring her here."

"My Yue?" asked Arnook.

"I visited the spirit world yesterday and she came to me and showed me the spirit oasis," answered Aang. "May we have your permission to visit the spirit oasis and try to save The Earth Queen and her unborn child?"

"Of course," replied Arnook. "Whatever you need. You are also welcome to stay at the palace during your time here."

Aang bowed to the chief. "Thank you so much for your support and understanding. One last thing…would it be possible to send for Yugoda?"

"I will do so at once," said Arnook. He turned and left.

Aang and Katara set up a stretcher and gently lowered Fei Yen down to several waiting guards who then carried her into the palace.

It was only a half hour before Yugoda found Aang and Katara tending to Fei Yen in the room that she would call home until her baby was born.

"Katara, it is great to see you again," said Yugoda.

Katara bowed to the healing master. "As it is to see you," said Katara.

"And who is this?" Yugoda asked.

"Her name is Fei Yen and she is the Earth Queen," replied Aang. "She is our good friend and we have reason to believe that coming here may just play a part in saving her life."

"Will you examine her?" asked Katara.

"Of course," said Yugoda, who then bended some water onto Fei Yen's abdomen.

"Oh my!" Yugoda called out. "So very sick!"

"Can you see what the problem is?" asked Katara.

Yugoda probed further. "I'm afraid not. Physically, everything looks fine. Even the baby appears to be fine, but their energies are so low. _Dangerously_ low."

"Yeah, we know," said Aang. "We've been keeping them both alive the best we can, but without knowing what is doing this, we can't heal it. They both seem physically fine."

"I'll be back," said Yugoda, leaving the room abruptly.

Twenty minutes later, she re-emerged with a vial. She bended the water from the vial onto Fei Yen's abdomen. A slight glow was seen from her actions.

"Spirit water," said Katara.

"Yes," answered Yugoda. "This will help keep them both alive longer."

"Thank you, Yugoda," said Aang.

"You should fill up this vial once a day and use it on Fei Yen and her baby," said Yugoda. "I will be back to check on Fei Yen tomorrow. We may have to delivery that baby early."

"But she is only six months pregnant!" insisted Katara.

"Yes, I saw," said Yugoda. "But for all parties involved, it may be the best thing to do all-around."

OlOlOlOlOlO

**17 months ASC**

Not much changed over the next month or so. Aang and Katara were, again, dealing with another situation instead of fully enjoying their honeymoon. They were more than happy to tend their good friend, but there did seem to be something missing.

Fei Yen did feel a little better after a few spirit water treatments. Yugoda checked her again and found that she and the baby's energy levels had increased. Fei Yen dared not move from her bed, but was able to sit up and even talk for a small period of time each day – a vast improvement to how she had been in Ba Sing Se.

Her belly continued to get larger and she did surpass the 7 month mark. Yugoda asked her to consider an early delivery. The spirit water could work miracles, but there were no guarantees that it would work forever. As with many treatments, the body can become accustomed to it and it will become less effective over time. Fei Yen promised Yugoda that she would consider it. After 7 months gestation, the baby should be able to survive outside of the womb.

In addition to Kuei, Aang and Katara faithfully kept two other people informed as to the recent happenings at the Northern Water Tribe. For one, Zuko was kept in the loop because Aang and Katara had missed their original scheduled time on Ember Island. They decided that they would still like to go if at all possible to get a much needed 'break from their honeymoon' before returning to the Eastern Air Temple. Haruko was also kept informed because the residents of the Eastern Air Temple eagerly awaited Aang's return so that the airbender training could continue. Aang wanted to keep them informed just so they knew he wasn't gallivanting about the world and not spending time with them without good reason.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**18 months ASC**

The status quo continued for a few weeks more with no change. Then, the day they all dreaded finally arrived. Yugoda, Aang and Katara just happened to be at Fei Yen's bedside when the discovery was made. All were cheerfully talking about the events happening around the city while Katara checked on Fei Yen and the baby. Katara stopped cold in the middle of a sentence.

"Yugoda, will you check her for me?" asked Katara, who now wore a look of concern.

"Sure Katara," answered Yugoda, who then placed her hands draped in water on Fei Yen.

"I couldn't feel anything there," said Katara.

"No – there is something," said Yugoda. "But just barely. We need to get this baby out, now! I brought the herbs…."

"What? What herbs?" asked Fei Yen, who was now in a virtual panic.

"Fei Yen," Katara said grabbing either side of Fei Yen's face with her two hands, "you must remain calm for your baby. He or she is just barely hanging on inside you and it is time to deliver. Yugoda is a healing master and you are in fantastic hands. If anyone can bring you both through this, she can. The herbs along with her healing abilities will put you into labor, that's all."

"Oh, o-ok," replied Fei Yen.

"You can do this, Fei Yen. Just be strong," remarked Aang, who was now feverishly writing a message on some paper in a corner of the room.

Yugoda mixed the herbs into a cup of tea and had Fei Yen drink the liquid. She then probed her abdomen with her healing abilities once again to try to jumpstart the labor process. At first, Fei Yen felt nothing but small twinges from her belly. Just a bit of a flutter was all.

"Fei Yen, are you feeling anything yet?" asked Katara.

"Yes, but it isn't painful. I can feel some tightening down here," Fei Yen said as she pointed below her belly button.

"Good, that's normal," said Yugoda. "That's how deliveries such as these usually begin."

Within an hour, Fei Yen's face told a slightly different story. She was obviously having much more intense contractions now.

"How are you doing?" asked Yugoda.

"I'm ok," answered Fei Yen. "It's still not unbearable, but it's definitely painful."

"Let me know if you need any help with your pain," said Katara. "I can't take it all away, but I may be able to diminish it a little."

"Thanks Katara….for everything," answered Fei Yen.

"Um…do you guys want me to, y'know, leave the room?" Aang asked. Fei Yen was still entirely covered by her sheets and blankets and there had been no reason for Aang not to be there as of yet. But he knew the time would eventually come when everything would be 'out in the open' for all to see and he wasn't sure if Fei Yen would be comfortable with that….he wasn't sure _he_ would be comfortable with that.

"Aang, I'm fine if you want to stay. This is completely natural and one day, you'll be having one of these of your own," said Fei Yen.

_Yeah, real soon_, thought Aang as he remembered Aunt Wu's prediction. "Uh, ok, thanks," he replied.

Katara took Aang aside. "I think you should stay," she said. "You are a waterbender, too. I know you would be most comfortable with only women handling this type of thing, but this knowledge may be needed, say, at the Eastern Air Temple if any babies are ever born there." She took Aang by the hand and led him to Fei Yen's bedside. "Now I want you to put your hands on her pregnant belly. Here's the tricky part. The muscles around the baby must keep working, but it is extremely painful. I want you to concentrate on the energy pathways in the spine to try to block the pain. Do not stop the muscles from working though. Oh, and it will get worse over time."

Aang did as he was instructed. A few minutes passed and Fei Yen's hard face softened a bit.

"See?" said Katara. "We did it. She's in less pain now, at least for the time being."

Hours and hours went by and the trio of helpers continued to guide Fei Yen through her labor. Pain suppression, keeping the baby's energy closely monitored, and checking on Fei Yen's overall progress were done over and over again.

Finally, Yugoda announced, "She's ready!"

"Is it time?" asked Katara.

"Time for what?" asked Aang.

"She's ready to push the baby out," answered Katara.

"How do you know?" asked Aang, still not fully understanding how this labor thing worked.

"I've delivered hundreds of babies over the years," said Yugoda. "You have to keep an eye on her opening to see how big it is. Once it gets to a certain size – a little bigger than an adult's fist - it will allow the baby to pass through – with a little help from the mother, that is."

"I have to push!" yelled Fei Yen, obviously feeling the messages her body was sending her.

"Go ahead, sweetie," said Yugoda.

And so she did. For over an hour. Slowly, the baby came closer and closer to being part of the world.

Aang was amazed at the sight he was seeing. Aang had always been much attuned to nature and all living beings and creatures, but this was the first time he had ever seen a human being born.

Fei Yen continued to push, though her fatigue was becoming more apparent.

"You're almost there, Fei Yen," said Yugoda. "Keep it up."

A few more pushes and Yugoda said, "Ok, the heads out."

Katara still played her role to the fullest concentrating on the medical needs of Fei Yen. Pain control, blood loss – she was definitely in a work cadence to keep the situation under control. Aang, on the other hand, had stopped doing everything. He looked down at Yugoda's hands and the tiny head that she held in them. Fei Yen pushed once more and out came the baby. It was a boy. A tiny, bloody, misshapen boy with light brown hair like his father.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as Aang took in what he just saw - the miracle of life coming into the world. His eyes teared as he looked at the newborn.

But then he noticed that Yugoda wasn't just holding the boy, she was working on him with one hand encased in spirit water.

"What's wrong, Yugoda?" asked Aang.

"As we feared, he is very sick," Yugoda answered. "He's alive, but just barely."

Aang looked at the boy and his heart sank. He lay there with his eyes closed, making no sounds whatsoever.

"Aang - ," started Katara.

"I need to try," said Aang. "Yugoda, wipe him off and give him to me. Wrap him warmly."

"What are you - ," started Yugoda.

"Please!" said Aang. "Hurry!"

Yugoda asked no further questions and within a few seconds the baby was ready to go. Aang took the infant and ran as fast as he could to the spirit oasis. _It's his only chance._

Aang had visited the oasis often in the last few weeks to retrieve the spirit water they had been using on Fei Yen. It was still his favorite place in the Northern Water Tribe. Warm. Tranquil. A perfect place to mediate. He had talked with the moon and ocean spirits often enough and told them of Fei Yen's situation as he sat by the side of the koi pond whenever he collected the spirit water. Of course, they were just fish – he had no idea if they truly thought as fish did and had no idea what he had been saying.

Aang started walking into the koi pond with the infant in his hands. He felt…spiritual. That was the only way to put it. The energy of this place was all around him and calmed him. He laid the baby in the water. _I hope this works_, he thought as the fish approached the baby.

"This is the baby I've been telling you about," he said to the two fish. "Just as we thought, he was born very sick. His eyes are closed and he isn't making a sound. Is there anything you can do for him?" asked Aang. "I would be most grateful."

To Aang's surprise, it was not the white fish who took an interest in the child, but the black one. The ocean spirit swam to the infant and gently brushed up against him. The water between the two beings swirled with a grayish-blackness and then, to Aang's astonishment, the baby's hair turned from its light brown to jet black.

_Not quite what I expected…._

Just then, the baby's newly dark eyes opened and he let out a scream. Aang held the baby close to his chest and comforted him. He turned and bowed to the koi fish. "Thank you."

Having been in quite a hurry on his way to the oasis, Aang did not bring another towel or blanket to wrap the baby in on his way back to the palace. Once outside of the warmth of the grassy area, Aang knocked on the first door he came to and politely asked the occupant for something wrap the baby in, which they gladly provided.

Aang and the baby walked back to the palace. As Aang neared the palace, Katara spotted him. She was standing just outside the front door.

"Hi Katara," Aang said aloud.

"Aang, what happened? Yugoda just let me leave and I was coming to the oasis to find you," said Katara.

"Here he is," said Aang as he showed her the baby.

"Aang – his hair!" said an alarmed Katara.

"I know. You would have thought white, right? It was the ocean spirit who came to him, not the moon spirit," said Aang. "I saw the energy leave the black fish and get absorbed by the baby. He then opened his eyes and started crying."

Katara put her hands up near the baby, who then grabbed her finger and cooed.

"He's adorable," she said. "Let's bring him to Fei Yen."

The two teens walked into Fei Yen's room with her new son. Aang handed him to her and her smile simply lit up the room. "He's fine," he told her. "He was blessed by the ocean spirit and his hair turned black, just like our friend Yue was blessed by the moon spirit, which turned her hair white."

"Black, white, brown – I'm just glad he is ok," said Fei Yen, who had a single tear running down her face from her right eye.

Aang turned to start yet another message in the corner – he wanted Kuei to know what was going on as soon as possible.

"So what are you going to name him?" asked Katara.

"Kuei and I did pick a name out, but in light of the circumstances, I think I want to change it," said Fei Yen. "Mizu."

"That's lovely," said Katara. "Mizu."

"Aang, can you be sure to include that in your message to Kuei?" asked Fei Yen.

"Already done," said Aang who was writing as the ladies spoke.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

The four travelers spent the next week at the Northern Water Tribe. Of course, Fei Yen was very eager to return to her husband in Ba Sing Se, but didn't want to go against Yugoda's recommendations, which were to remain at the north pole until she was sure both she and Mizu were mostly recovered. It turned out that Fei Yen and Mizu were absolutely fine after Mizu's birth. Once the connection between mother and son was broken, Fei Yen quickly regained her strength - and Mizu was just like any other baby once the ocean spirit had intervened.

Aang and Katara studied Fei Yen and Mizu in a way. Both knew, in the back of their minds, that they were not very far behind in terms of starting a family. They greatly enjoyed watching Mizu's first days and how Fei Yen and her helpers cared for him.

One night Katara brought up the subject with Aang before they fell asleep.

"Aang, do you think I'll be a good mother?" she asked.

He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. "I think you'll be a great mother," he answered. "You are so natural with Mizu."

"I hope so. I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"Why? Because it's coming soon?" asked Aang.

"Well, _yeah_. Aren't you nervous?" she asked in return.

"A little, I guess," he answered. "But I love you and something that is the product of our love can't be a bad thing."

"I'm tired, Aang," Katara said.

"Me, too," he replied thinking she meant it was already getting late into the evening.

"No," Katara corrected, "I'm _tired_. Ever since we left the Eastern Air Temple, we've done virtually nothing but work, plan, and help. I just want some time to ourselves."

"We'll head to Ember Island after we drop Fei Yen and Mizu back in Ba Sing Se. We'll be there in two days," said Aang. "I promise that it will be nothing but us while we're there."

"Does Zuko know?" asked Katara.

"I've been sending him scrolls about our plans. He is still fine with us using his beach house," said Aang.


	37. Chapter 37

The reunion in Ba Sing Se was enough to make the hardest of hearts melt. Kuei was finally given the opportunity to meet his newborn son. After hugging Fei Yen and holding Mizu, Kuei turned to Aang and Katara and thanked them profusely for everything they had done for his family and told them how he could never repay them.

The couple left their charges in the palace and exited post haste. After all, the family was newly together and needed time to bond just by themselves. Besides that, Aang and Katara had their own plans and were trying to get to Ember Island as fast as they could to avoid any other "urgent matters" that may come up and interrupt their time together.

It was only one more day before they arrived at Ember Island. The workers at Zuko's house didn't know the exact day Aang and Katara would arrive, but the teens could tell that they were definitely ready for their arrival.

"Welcome Avatar Aang and Master Katara. My name is Umi and I will be responsible for making sure your every need is met during your stay. If you need anything, just come find me," a man said as they neared the front door.

"Thank you, Umi. You have no idea how much we've been looking forward to this visit," replied Aang.

Umi walked away as Aang and Katara climbed back onto Appa's back and took their possessions into the house.

"Hold on a second," said Aang. "Umi! Is there a place for Appa to stay?"

"Of course. I would be happy to personally show him to the stables. Fire Lord Zuko mentioned that if you ever visited, we would need to make room for your sky bison," said Umi. "An area has been prepared for him."

"Thanks!" replied Aang, who then rejoined Katara.

They dropped their things off in the room they would be staying in.

"So, what do you want to do first?" asked Katara.

"Honestly? The beach!" said Aang. "We've been up north for a while now. I'm ready for some sun and ocean."

"You got it," replied Katara.

They put on some suitable swimming clothes and made their way to the warm sand right down the path outside the house. They spent the entire day lounging around, swimming, surfing, and making sand sculptures. Aang decided to try his hand at sandbending remembering the fantastic Ba Sing Se Toph had once bended right near this very spot almost two years ago. Unfortunately for him, he never quite got it right, but he sure did have fun trying.

Evening soon set in and the husband and wife remained on the beach. Umi approached them to make sure everything was still ok. He brought along a blanket with him in case they were getting cold as the sun set.

"Oh sure," said Aang to Umi. "Everything's fine here. We're just enjoying our time together."

Once Umi left, Aang gathered up some driftwood and built a small fire. Aang and Katara cuddled under the blanket and watched nighttime slowly emerge as the western sky turned from yellow to orange to pink to purple, and finally to a deep black sprinkled with bright white spots.

"It's been a good day," remarked Katara out of nowhere.

"It's nice not having anywhere to be," said Aang, who then leaned over to Katara and started kissing the back of her neck.

Katara giggled as the hair started standing up from the shivers Aang's kisses were sending down her spine. She turned her head and gave him a deep kiss.

The fire cracked and Aang turned to look at it for just a second.

Katara smiled at him. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" she asked.

"Hmmm….no," replied Aang, who again, started nibbling at her neck.

"I love you," she said and caught his mouth with hers yet again for the next kiss.

"I love you, too," Aang replied as soon as their kiss broke.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Katara and Aang finally got to enjoy the honeymoon they wanted. Not much happened in the next week and a half on Ember Island. Lots of food, sleep, sun, and sex ensued. Umi catered to their every wish. They even took in a show by the Ember Island Players – both agreed that it was a much better one than "The Boy in the Iceberg".

Katara was sure to take the time to write a message to Zuko and Mai thanking them for the offer to use their house. Aang wrote a message to the Haruko letting her know that they would be back at the Eastern Air Temple in the next few days.

Nine days after arriving, the couple left their favorite honeymoon spot and headed back to the Eastern Air Temple. Along the way, they stopped at Gaoling. Toph's parents provided excellent hospitality. Unfortunately, Toph was not there. She was still off with Pipsqueak and The Duke somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Her parents reported that she was having a great time, but still regretted that she was not around nearly as much as they wished.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**19 Months ASC**

Aang and Katara arrived back in the Eastern Air Temple in the mid-afternoon of an early spring day. The residents who were out and about at the temple came over to greet them.

Later that evening, dinner was served in the dining area. A lot of catching up was done as Aang and Katara told their first-hand accounts of their wedding and honeymoon adventures. Although Haruko had received all of Aang's messages, there was nothing like hearing it from the sources themselves. The Eastern Air Temple residents also caught Aang and Katara up on any new things that had gone on since they left months ago.

"Kotori came to visit," said Deshi.

"Kotori came here?" asked Aang. "I knew she said she wanted to visit, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. I'm sorry I missed her."

"She was a bit sorry, too, but when she heard that you had gotten married and were on your honeymoon with Katara, she more than understood," said Deshi.

Haruko leaned over. "….and the best part is what she brought with her."

"You mean 'who' she brought with her, don't you?" corrected Deshi.

"Who?" asked Aang.

"One more family from Qi Cun decided to relocate to the Eastern Air Temple," said Deshi. "It's a mother, father and their two children, a daughter age 7 and a son, age 3."

"They are not airbenders, but what they told me was that they felt a pull to come here. The pull was the strongest after the initial people had left. That's when they made the decision to relocate," said Deshi.

"That's great," said Aang. "They may not be airbenders, but they do have airbender blood in them. That just makes our success in future generations that much more secure."

"Avatar Aang!" A new voice was heard off to the right interrupting the conversation. "May I speak with you?" It was Suwan, one of Aang's airbending students.

"Excuse me," Aang said and bowed to his friends.

He and Suwan walked slowly outside of the temple.

"Avatar Aang, it has been quite a while since we've seen you," said Suwan.

"Yes, it has," he acknowledged. _Interesting intro. What's her point? _

"Umm….I have to tell you something," said Suwan.

_Is she quitting the training?_

"I'm…uh….pregnant again," she said.

Aang took a moment to gather his thoughts since this wasn't exactly the news he was expecting. In his own personal experience, most of the airbender training was done when the pupil was young. By the time the airbender started having children, he or she was usually a master or close to it. This was another example of how things would be changing in the new airbending society.

"Oh," Aang finally mustered. "How far along are you?"

"About 4 months. I'm due in early fall," replied Suwan.

Aang didn't say much else at first. He continued to think. _As long as she is careful, there is no reason she can't continue to train._

"Aang?" Suwan tried to get his attention by waving her hand in front of his face.

"Oh sorry," Aang responded. "I guess I hadn't prepared for this…situation. Have you been training while I've been gone?"

"I sure have. I can't wait until we all get to show you how far we've come since you left," said Suwan.

"I'm going to leave the intensity of your training up to you. The health of your baby is the most important thing right now, so don't overdo it. Most of the forms shouldn't be a problem. But if you are ever not feeling well, don't push it."

Suwan bowed to her master in agreement.

"Oh, and Katara and I will be checking on you and the baby from time-to-time," Aang mentioned as an aside. "Just so you know."

"Why would _you_ check on me?" asked Suwan, not yet hearing for herself what Aang and Katara have been doing the last few months.

"Katara has started to train me in healing," answered Aang. "The interesting thing is, we were in the middle of helping to deliver a baby when she told me I should stay and learn. She brought up this situation exactly - that babies were bound to be born at the Eastern Air Temple and I should know 'my way around' since it would be only her and I here to help out."

"Ah, I see," said Suwan.

"Aang, is everything alright?" said a voice behind the pair. It was Katara wondering what was taking him so long.

"Oh, everything's fine," he answered.

Suwan bowed again. "Goodnight, Avatar Aang." Aang bowed back and she walked back into the temple.

Katara walked up to her husband. "What's going on?" she asked.

"You're not going to believe this, but Suwan is pregnant," he answered.

"Really?" Katara replied. "So what are you going to do? She's a sixth of your students."

"I think she's fine to do most everything. It's not like we're at a very high level yet. I just told her to be careful and not push herself too hard," said Aang.

"Sounds like good advice to me," said Katara. "I'm a Master Waterbender and I plan on training throughout my pregnancy. I can't imagine Suwan would be doing anything to hurt the baby. Speaking of babies….," said Katara.

"Yes?" said Aang.

"Wanna go practice?" she asked.

"You know I do," he replied.

Katara grabbed Aang's hand and led them back to their room for yet another night full of passion.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang called his first airbender training session the next morning.

"Good morning, students," he joyfully called out to his six trainees.

"Good morning, Avatar Aang," they replied in unison.

"I've been told that you all have mastered all that I've shown you already. I'd like to spend the first hour or two going over what you've been working on and see where you currently are with your training," said Aang.

One by one, the students showed the Avatar what they had been working on these past few months. What Aang had heard was correct – all had mastered their current airbending levels.

"Great job everyone!" Aang praised. "I will briefly show you the next set of moves for you to work on. Youfeng and Meifeng will learn up through level 13 and the rest of you through level 8. After that, I'd like to show you a game I used to play - kind of a reward for all your hard work."

The students, especially the young ones, were excited at the notion of learning their first airbending game. Aang showed the four lower level students their new moves followed by Youfeng and Meifeng with their higher level moves.

"The small air suction and mini-tornado are simply the beginning steps before the more advanced versions. They can always be used, but I have found they are not as useful as their full-blown counterparts. As far as the light walk is concerned, Meifeng is aware of my need to 'step lightly' back in Qi Cun, right Mefieng?"

"Oh, I remember that night very clearly," Meifeng replied with a grin on her face.

"What night?" asked Youfeng.

"There was a night when I snuck into Meifeng's room when she was the next chosen keeper. I took her to try my glider and meet Appa, trying to convince her to help me expose the airbenders in Qi Cun so Kotori would allow me to train you," said Aang.

"Is that right?" said Youfeng as he put his hands on his hips and addressed Meifeng. "We'll have to talk about that this evening…"

"Sorry, Meifeng. I didn't mean to get you in trouble with your Dad. Go easy on her, Youfeng. If she hadn't stuck her neck out, we probably wouldn't be here right now," said Aang.

"Good point," replied Youfeng.

"Master Aang, have you used all these moves before?" asked Meifeng. "Some of them seem so….unusable in everyday life."

"Hmmm….I guess I've never really thought of it before. I'm sure there are some forms I've never used beyond my training, but I can tell you that I've used the ones I'm teaching you today. For example, the mini-tornado – I used it to cool off someone's soup once. Actually, it was more to impress her parents than to cool her soup. And moving objects that you are riding to make them go faster? That one was a ton of fun in Omashu when I rode the stone carts of the mail system with the King."

Meifeng really liked Aang's real world examples. "That sounds really cool!" she said.

"Believe me, everything we are taught, no matter how insignificant it may seem, can be used at some point," said Aang.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Life was back to normal at the Eastern Air Temple. Both Aang and Katara were very happy to be back, roots firmly planted - at least for the time being. They had nowhere to be until Sokka and Suki's wedding in mid-summer and that was a good three months away.

Aang looked forward to reacquainting himself with the residents of the temple and getting to know the new family who had recently moved here. He was in absolute heaven when, one morning at breakfast, Tengfei came up to him and asked him about his time with Monk Gyatso.

"How do you know about Monk Gyatso?" Aang asked the airbender.

"Min taught us," said Tengfei. "She said he was your guardian when you were an airbending student. Y'know, before you got your arrow."

"Yes, that's right," said Aang whose mind started wandering a bit back to the times he spent with Gyatso…Pai Sho, baking fruit pies, playing with the lemurs. "He was like a father to me." Aang heart filled with pride at the realization that the kids were learning about how the Air Nomad nation used to be. _Maybe it will be that way again someday._

OlOlOlOlOlO

That evening, Aang and Katara lied in bed talking about their respective days, as they always did. Aang talked about how Tengfei asked about Monk Gyatso and how his students were doing. He also talked about his own practice session, which happened to be mostly waterbending this particular day, which he was sure would draw Katara's attention. But Katara wasn't saying much back to Aang on this particular evening. Her near-silence finally spurred him to start prompting her for a little discussion.

"Is everything ok?" Aang asked her. "You're not being very talkative tonight."

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on mind right now. That's all," said Katara.

"I live with you. What on earth could be going on in your life that I don't already know about?" Aang asked.

"Well….," she started, but her reaction gave it away. Her cheeks got a little pinker and a small smile appeared.

"No, really?" said Aang, obviously getting excited. "When?"

"I've known for a couple of days, but I wanted to be absolutely sure," Katara replied. "It's extremely early – only about a week now – but I can tell what's going on since I'm so in-tune with my own chi paths."

"Can I….see?" asked Aang.

"Sure," she replied.

He got up and retrieved Katara's water pouch and bended the water onto his hands. He placed his hands gingerly onto her abdomen, just below her belly button, and closed his eyes.

"So tiny," he commented. "You can barely notice anything is there."

"I told you it was early," Katara replied. "Let's just keep it between us – for now."

Aang nodded in agreement. "Katara, we're going to be parents," said aloud, almost so he could hear it for his own benefit. He grabbed her and held her tightly for what seemed like a very long time.

"Aunt Wu was right," said Katara. "I always thought she knew what she was talking about."

Aang broke the embrace and grabbed Katara with both hands on either side of her head. He gently kissed her on the lips. Then they lay down in a spooning position enjoying the silence as thoughts of the next nine months raced through each of their heads.


	38. Chapter 38

**20 months ASC**

_Aang and Katara,_

_I wanted to be the first to tell you the news before you heard it from anyone else. Mai is pregnant! She is about 3 months along and is doing very well. See you at the wedding._

_Zuko_

"Well, that's convenient," said Katara.

"If we were all in the same place, I would have sworn it was contagious," remarked Aang.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Katara's first month of pregnancy flew by with no issues or complications. She barely even knew she was pregnant. Of course, it was too early to outwardly notice any changes. There would be no belly or bulge until about the 4th month or so. Having spent some time around pregnant women though, Katara knew her current situation would probably be too good to last. She knew that only a few select lucky women went through their entire pregnancy with no negative symptoms.

She and Aang still decided that they should not inform anyone else of the pregnancy. For now, they shared that little secret only between the two of them. They were an interesting sight because, one would never know by looking at the two of them that anything had changed at all. Aang continued his airbender training and both Aang and Katara vigorously practiced their own bending every afternoon in the private practice area that was built for them. In the evenings though, when the two were alone, they would often "check" the progress of the baby with their waterbending and talk about the future as a family of three.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

**21 months ASC**

Aang was conducting airbender training one morning with his six students when a messenger hawk swooped in from the sky and landed on the railing of a nearby balcony. _I wonder who's writing_, Aang thought to himself. "Keep going," he instructed his students as he broke his gaze from their forms to go see what the messenger hawk carried.

He removed the scroll, unfurled it, and began reading.

_Aang,_

_Suki and I have arrived back at the south pole. I have some disturbing news I need to share with you, but let me ask you upfront to not tell Katara. Dad was hunting a few days ago and was attacked by a polar leopard. Apparently they had their eyes on the same otter-penguins for dinner that night and, unfortunately, the polar leopard won. _

_Dad's fine. There's no reason to rush home right now. The healers are working on him already. There's no need to worry Katara about this right now. After all, you'll be here in a few weeks anyway. _

_Sokka_

_Hmmm….to tell or not to tell?_ he thought to himself. _I don't like keeping things from her, but Sokka is right, she will be worried and she'll want to leave right away if I do tell her_ _ Considering her current state, maybe I'll just not tell her just this once. __I must be crazy listening to Sokka._

"Master Aang? Is everything ok?" asked Tengfei, who shouted over from the where the students were practicing.

Aang snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, Tengfei. It's nothing." He rolled the scroll back up and stuffed it in his shirt.

The airbenders broke training so they could go get some lunch in the dining area. Katara met Aang right outside so they could go in together.

"How were your students today?" she asked him.

"They are progressing well," replied Aang. "I'm almost sorry I have to leave again, even if it is for only a short time."

They walked back to the kitchen area where the food was being prepared. They kept talking along the way.

"I know how attached you are to all this," said Katara. "I also know you could never miss the wedding of two of your best friends. I promise we won't be there more than a few days."

Aang then thought about the note_. I hope he's ok._ _She's going to kill me if she ever finds out about the scroll Sokka sent. _

Just then Katara put down her plate and ran to the garbage and heaved. Aang put down his plate and followed. He rubbed her back as she stood over the bin.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I knew this might come eventually," she answered.

"Morning sickness, huh," he said.

"Yeah. Unlike the name though, it can hit you anytime. At least that's what other mothers have told me," said Katara. "Those eggs are just not smelling right to me right now."

"Eat a lot of rice. That should calm it down I would think," said Aang. "Ok?" he bent down so he actually felt like he was somewhat talking to her face.

She stood up and wiped the edge of her lips with a napkin. "I'm ok."

The husband and wife took their food and sat down in the main eating area near Haruko and Deshi.

"Are you ok, dear?" asked Haruko. "We…uh….heard that you weren't feeling well."

"I'm fine. I'm going to stick to just some plain rice for lunch. Maybe I caught a bug or something," Katara replied.

After a half hour and three entire bowls of rice, Aang and Katara were ready to leave. They said good-bye to their friends and took off to do the afternoon's planned activities.

Deshi whispered a remark to Haruko, "Well, she can't be _too_ sick. She just ate three whole bowls of rice in one sitting!"

OlOlOlOlOlO

Later that evening, Aang and Katara were in their room getting ready for bed.

"…And so it begins," said Katara.

"What?" said Aang.

"Well, the morning sickness, but I've also been hungry all day and now I'm absolutely exhausted," she replied.

"Are you going to be like this the entire pregnancy?" Aang asked.

"I don't think so. I _hope_ not anyway. I hear it goes away over time," said Katara.

"Do you mind if I look at the baby?" asked Aang.

"Not at all," she replied.

He bended the water from her pouch and put his hands on her still-flat abdomen. Aang concentrated for a few seconds. Then a single tear was shed from each eye.

"What is it?" Katara asked. "Is everything ok?"

"I can feel a heartbeat," he replied.

OlOlOlOlOlO

A messenger hawk came to the Eastern Air Temple once again. This time, however, it was during a meal. Katara and Aang were sitting together in the dining area.

"I'll get it," Aang said. He stood up and went over to where the hawk perched on an outside railing. He picked up the message and rejoined his wife at their table. As he read, he scowled.

"Who is it from?" she asked.

"Sokka," he replied with a bit of hesitation.

"Sokka - ," she started. "What does he want?"

"It's not good," Aang said. "Katara - I have a confession to make. A week or two ago, I received a message from him asking me not to tell you something."

He could see the anticipation in her eyes growing wanting to know if this was something she should be upset about. "And…?"

"Uhhh….your father had an accident," Aang said.

"What _kind_ of accident? And you didn't tell me?" she said in a slightly elevated voice.

"I know. I didn't know what to do. I was 50/50 on whether I should tell you or not, but Sokka point-blank told me not to tell you, so I didn't," Aang said.

"Wrong choice – but we'll talk about that later when we're alone. And? What does the scroll say?" urged Katara.

"Well, your father got into a hunting accident a few weeks ago. He ran into a polar leopard and got a little….hurt," Aang explained. "But Sokka said he was under the care of healers and it would only worry you to know about it, especially when you were all the way over here at the Eastern Air Temple."

"Is that all?" asked Katara.

"Well, no," said Aang. "This latest scroll says that he developed a pretty bad infection right after that and he's not doing well."

"Dad!" Katara yelled and stood up from the table. "Aang, we've got to get there as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that was coming," Aang muttered to himself. "Let me tie up a few things here and we'll get going. We'll also have to pack for the wedding, too. Can you hold on until tomorrow morning?"

"I think so," answered Katara. "It won't be easy…but I think so."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, Aang and Katara left for the Southern Water Tribe. They decided to push Appa on this particular trip – they left at sun-up, but Appa would continue to fly until they arrived. Before they left, Aang touched base with all the residents at the Eastern Air Temple to let them know what was going on and when he thought he'd be back. He gave specific instructions to his students on what to practice and even left Youfeng and Meifeng take up some leadership and run some practice sessions themselves.

It was the middle of the night before Appa landed in the Southern Water Tribe. He was exhausted, but Aang and Katara were none the worse for wear since they napped on his back while he was flying.

"You go ahead," said Aang, knowing full well that Katara wanted to go see her father as soon as possible. "I'll unload our stuff into the house."

Katara walked to her father's house under the summer moon. _I'm glad its not winter_, she thought to herself. There was nothing stirring in the village. She did note, however, there was a small light emanating from her Dad's house as she got closer. _I wonder if he's up._

She gently opened up the door that led to the kitchen. As she peeked inside, she saw a lone figure sitting with his back to the door, reading by candlelight.

"Sokka?" Katara whispered.

He turned to see his sister coming through the door. "Oh Katara, I'm glad you're here," he said to her in a low voice.

"I thought you'd be home," she said.

"Well, right now Dad needs someone to look after him all the time. I'm on in just a few minutes. Dad, Gran-Gran, Suki, Kirima, and I have been taking turns – especially at night," Sokka said.

"Wait….who is Kirima?" asked Katara.

"She's Dad's girlfriend," answered Sokka. "He met her right after your wedding a few months ago."

"Dad has a…._girlfriend_?" asked Katara.

"You didn't expect him to stay alone forever, did you? I mean, when Gran-Gran lost our Gramps, she found Pakku, right?" said Sokka.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Katara. "I guess I just wasn't expecting it. Who is she?"

"She came from the Northern Water Tribe with Pakku," said Sokka.

"Oh! Now I remember she's the one who gets seasick!" remarked Katara.

"That's the one. We were on that ship for a few weeks. You couldn't help but know which one she was, being sick the entire time like she was," said Sokka.

Katara giggled a little. "She was nice though…when we actually saw her without her head over the side of the boat," she said.

"Come on," Sokka grabbed Katara's sleeve and pulled him along with her to their Dad's bedroom. They gently opened the door so as not to disturb him if he was sleeping. Sokka held his finger up to his lips.

Inside was Hakoda, asleep under the furs on his bed and sweating profusely. By his side was a lovely middle-aged water tribe woman who Katara recognized immediately as the woman from Pakku's ship. She had Hakoda's hand in hers and was leaning with her head on his bed until she sensed other people had entered the room.

"Hi Sokka," said Kirima quietly. "Are you ready to take over?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," he answered. "Go get some sleep."

"How is he?" asked Katara.

"Pretty much the same," Kirima answered. "Are you Katara by any chance?"

"Yes I am. It's nice to see you again," said Katara.

"Likewise," Kirima answered.

"Do you guys mind if I check him?" Katara asked the two others at Hakoda's bedside. "It probably won't wake him up."

"I'd prefer if you did," answered Sokka.

Katara took the water out of her bending pouch and placed it on Hakoda's stomach. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Wow," was what she mustered when she opened her eyes again.

"Well….what did you see?" Sokka asked.

"The healers have done a decent job. But they aren't winning against the infection. I can see that he was bitten or scratched in the upper right arm or shoulder area and also on his right thigh. They look like they were healing, but then the infection took hold. Now there is a lot of festering in both of those areas," said Katara.

"Is he going to be ok?" asked Kirima.

"I don't know," said Katara. "He may be fine, but I'm pretty sure those two limbs will never be quite the same. A lot of his muscle has died already."

Katara then took out something else. In one of her pockets was a small vial. She opened it and waterbended the contents directly onto Hakoda's shoulder. It glowed for a second and then stopped.

"What was that?" asked Sokka.

"Spirit water from the North," she answered. "I took an extra vial when Aang and I were up there with Fei Yen 'just in case'. I thought now would be a good time to use it."

They all looked at Hakoda sleeping for a few minutes after that. Other than the sounds that came from him every so often, no one else made a noise until Katara finally broke the silence.

"I think I'll get back to Aang," she said.

"Yeah, I'm going to turn in, too," said Kirima.

"I'll be here – no worries, I've got everything under control," said Sokka.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next day, Aang and Katara arrived at Hakoda's house mid-morning to check on him. By that time, Suki had taken over for Sokka, who was now home getting some much needed sleep of his own.

"Hi Suki," said Aang as they walked into Hakoda's bedroom.

"How is he?" asked Katara.

"About the same actually," Suki replied.

Katara bended her pouch water back onto her father's stomach to check him. "His shoulder is definitely better. I would say about half the infection is gone. But the leg – not so much."

She moved her hands to his shoulder and closed her eyes for a minute or two. After that, she moved her hands down to his thigh.

"I wish I had more spirit water," she said. Aang gave her a hug.

"Has he been like this for very long?" asked Aang. "I mean, I expected him to be awake by now."

"It's been about a week now. When he is awake, he is in a lot of pain. It's actually better that he's out," replied Suki.

"I can't believe all this is happening," said Katara who sat down on a chair and put her head in both hands. Aang could hear her soft whimpers of trying not to cry. He went over and rubbed the upper part of her back to try to comfort her.

"Katara, don't give up," said Suki. "He's strong. He'll get through it."

Katara looked up. "But what will he be like when it's over?" she asked. "It's eating him alive."

"Katara, we've got to stay positive – for him," said Aang. "Promise me you won't give up."

She sniffed and gathered herself. "I promise."

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara got added to the rotating caregiver list and started keeping watch with the others hoping Hakoda would come out of this alive. Katara and Aang also spent some of their time with Hakoda giving him healing sessions as well.

Three days after Aang and Katara arrived, Hakoda appeared to the waterbenders that he was getting better. His high fever was going down and his profuse sweating had stopped completely. Yet he was still not yet awake.

Aang was watching him after lunch when Katara came into the room to take over.

"I don't understand it, Katara," Aang said. "I checked him and even did some healing on his wounds. I really would think he should be awake by now."

"I'm sure he'll wake up soon," she replied.

Katara turned her back on her husband and father to enter a closet and get down a fresh towel so she could wipe him down.

"What did you say Aang?" she asked.

"It wasn't me," Aang said, looking over at Hakoda to make sure the source of the sound was coming from where he thought it was coming from.

"Dad?" Katara said as she took a few steps closer. His eyes were now half-open and he made another low, raspy sound.

"Don't push too hard, Dad," Katara said.

He motioned for her to get close to his face. She listened to him whisper something.

"I love you, too, Dad," she said.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Hakoda's strength steadily grew after that. Although he had kept both his right arm and his right leg, his leg would never be the same. It was extremely emaciated due to muscle attack and atrophy.

Because he was now awake, more friends would stop by to visit. The house again became a happy place to be.

"Just in time, Dad," Sokka said a few days later.

"I know. Really poor timing on my part – or should I say on the polar lepoard's part. At least I'll be there though," said Hakoda.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**22 months ASC**

Most of the out-of-town guests arrived only a day before the wedding. Because it was going to be an intimate affair, the guests only included some of Sokka and Suki's closest friends – a few of the the Kyoshi Warriors, Toph, The Duke, Zuko and Mai. The Kyoshi Warriors found a place to stay with Gran-Gran and Pakku while the others decided to stay with Aang and Katara.

Toph and The Duke were the first to arrive early in the day. A few of the villagers noticed them walking from a nearby ship that was offloading and notified Katara of their arrival. Katara ran to see them.

"Toph!" yelled Katara as she ran up to her.

"Hey Sugar Queen!" Toph yelled back. "Come get me before I die out here! I can't see a thing!" The Duke was currently leading her across the ice.

Katara quickly grabbed her other shoulder and helped lead her into the village and to the house.

Aang was already in the house meditating before all the festivities began.

"Twinkletoes!" Toph yelled as soon as she noted his presence.

"I wasn't trying to meditate or anything, Toph," Aang remarked.

"Ah, no worries Aang. I know you were just passing time until I arrived," said Toph.

Toph and The Duke took their stuff to one of the guest rooms.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Toph?" said Katara. She pulled her aside so she could have a private conversation. "Are you guys still just friends?"

"Yeah. He's still a little young – not even into girls yet. He's my best friend," Toph replied.

"You guys ok sleeping in the same room?" asked Katara.

"Oh, we sleep together a lot," said Toph. "I don't know if I could sleep without him next to me, actually."

"Uh, ok then," said Katara, still not firmly sure how to handle the situation.

Katara walked back into the living room and saw Aang just taking a seat after putting away some of the pillows and mats he often used for meditation.

"Everything ok?" Aang asked.

"Yeah. Everything's fine," Katara answered.

Toph walked back in the room without The Duke. "The Duke is unpacking our stuff – but before he comes in here, I wanted to have a little chat with you guys."

"What about?" asked Aang.

"Come on. You know," said Toph.

"What?" asked Katara.

Toph gave them both a look. "Earthbender?" she said extending her hand. "Very _good_ Earthbender?"

Aang and Katara were still oblivious to her meaning.

"You're pregnant, Katara. I can feel the baby's heartbeat!" Toph spurt out bluntly.

"Oh, that. I forgot you'd be able to tell," said Katara.

"Actually I wasn't sure," said Aang. "We are standing on a big block of ice."

"I can still feel the vibrations," said Toph. "So spill it. Details?"

"I'm, um, almost three months along now. The baby is due in winter," said Katara.

"Well, well. I was waiting to hear when the cloud babies were coming. Congratulations!" she said as she hugged them both one at a time.

"Cloud babies?" said Aang.

"Yeah, y'know. Air and water?" said Toph.

"Ahhh," remarked Aang.

_knock-knock_

Aang went to the door to see who was there.

"Mai! Zuko!" said Aang, happily greeting the last of his overnight guests. He grabbed Zuko's forearm and squeezed. Aang grabbed both of Mai's arms and lifted them up to waist-level so he could see her stomach. "And Mai, look at you!"

"Yeah. Look at me," she said flatly.

"How far along are you now?" asked Katara from across the room.

"Five months," Mai replied curtly, as usual.

"You're pregnant, too?" asked Toph.

"Too?" Zuko interrupted. "You're pregnant, Toph?"

"No! Katara is!" Toph exclaimed.

"Katara, you're pregnant?" Zuko asked.

"Uh, well, this is sudden," said Katara with a slight blush to her cheeks and feeling just a tad bit overwhelmed. "Yes, I'm pregnant. You guys are all the first to know – we haven't told anyone yet. Just about three months in case you were going to ask that next."

"That's great!" replied Zuko. "Congratulations!"

"At least it'll take some of the attention off of me. I'm sick of people touching me all the time," remarked Mai.

"Don't mind her. It's the hormones," said Zuko.

Toph whispered to Aang, "I thought she was like that all the time."

Sokka then stuck his head into the open door. "Knock-knock," he said to everyone. "We thought we saw Zuko and Mai arrive."

"Hey Sokka!" said Zuko, giving him a forearm-to-forearm grab. "Getting nervous?"

"No, not really. I've been to so many weddings these past couple of years, I figure it's just my turn," said Sokka. "What's going on here?"

"We were talking babies," said Zuko.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Mai's pregnant," said Sokka.

"…and Katara, too!" said Toph, taking her opportunity to tell yet another person and spoil the surprise.

Sokka turned to face the doorway and say something to Suki when he whipped back around to face everyone in the living room with his jaw dropped. "Katara is…_what_?"

"I'm pregnant," said Katara to her brother. "About three months."

"And you didn't mention this to me before _why_?" said Sokka.

"Don't get your underpants in a wad," said Katara. "Aang and I didn't tell anyone until today – and the only reason this is even being discussed now is because Toph can't keep her big mouth shut."

"Don't blame me," said Toph who put on an air of innocence in her demeanor. "I can't help it I can hear the heartbeat."

"Wow, that's cool," said Suki who was now inside the house behind Sokka.

Sokka grabbed Katara by the wrist and led her into one of the bedrooms.

"Sokka, what is your problem?" Katara demanded.

"I don't know. The news is just so sudden. Are you ok?" he asked.

"Sokka, I'm fine. Remember I told you Aunt Wu gave us a prediction about when our first child would be born?" said Katara.

"Yeah, and you wouldn't tell me when…," said Sokka.

"Well, she said the baby would be born next winter. We _knew_ when this was going to happen. We were prepared for it," said Katara. "Aang and I are _fine_."

"Sorry. I guess I was the one a little unprepared for it," said Sokka.

Katara gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for being my big brother," she said.


	39. Chapter 39

Sokka decided to visit his Dad one last time before he turned in for the night. Hakoda would be well enough to attend the wedding and the party after all, but he physically wasn't the same man as he was before the accident and would probably have to take it easy for a while.

"Dad – ," said Sokka as he entered the kitchen area of his Dad's house. Hakoda was sitting at the kitchen table getting something to eat. By his side was his new cane, which now enabled him to slowly get around.

"Sokka! I'm glad to see you," said Hakoda joyfully.

"How are you feeling?" asked Sokka.

"Oh, I feel fine. I'm glad I don't need all you guys to babysit me anymore," said Hakoda.

"Well, I don't think we minded the babysitting as much as we minded the reason we had to babysit," said Sokka. "We're just glad you seem to be ok now. Has Kirima been by today?"

"She actually just left," said Hakoda.

"Y'know, I'm glad you guys found each other," said Sokka, sounding a little touchy feely by this time.

"Son, there is something I need to talk to you about," said Hakoda. "It's really important."

Sokka sat down at the table to face his father sensing the importance of the subject coming up. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid that I can no longer serve the Southern Water Tribe as its chief. I am not very old, but after all those years of war and the recent polar leopard attack, I am not…. physically able to continue my usual duties as chief."

"Dad, _no_, don't say that" said Sokka.

"It's time I let some new blood step up into this role," said Hakoda.

Silence. Sokka looked down at the table in obvious thought. Hakoda kept a steady gaze on his son.

"You are six months past your seventeenth birthday. You are _ready_, Sokka," said Hakoda.

"But Dad…," started Sokka.

"No 'buts', Sokka. It's time. I was only 20 when I became chief. And I didn't have the worldwide experience and direct line to the Avatar like you do," said Hakoda.

Sokka still wasn't convinced. He wanted to be the chief of the Southern Water Tribe every since he was very young – but not like this.

"Sokka, you helped end the war with the Fire Nation. You are best friends with the Avatar and the Fire Lord, not to mention you know the Earth King pretty well, too. Your global connections are excellent, you have shown to be a tremendous warrior, and no one has a love for the Southern Water Tribe like you do," said Hakoda.

Sokka took a deep breath. "Alright, Dad. I'll try," said Sokka almost defeatedly.

Hakoda got up and hobbled over to his son and wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders from behind. "You're going to be a great chief."

"I need to talk to Suki," said Sokka under his breath. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed by this time, but he knew this couldn't wait.

Although he didn't intend to see Suki again until she was standing up in front of the crowd at the wedding, Sokka made his way over to their house where she was going to be sleeping for the night.

He walked in the front door and left his snowy boots off to one side. He took off his furry overcoat and left it on a chair by the door. He slowly walked to the bedroom and opened the door. Suki was already sitting up in bed.

"Sokka! You scared me half to death!" she yelled. "I thought you were staying at Aang's for the night."

"I am. I'm heading there next. I actually have something we need to talk about before we get married tomorrow," said Sokka.

"What is so important that you had to see me tonight?" she asked.

"I just came from Dad's. He's stepping down as chief," Sokka said.

"He told you that just _now_?" Suki asked.

"Yeah," said Sokka. "But that's not it. He wants me to be the next chief."

"That's great, Sokka!" said Suki. "Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"Yes, but I never expected it to come like this," he replied. "I'm not sure if I'm ready."

"Oh Sokka, you'll be fine," Suki said.

"But what about you Suki?" asked Sokka.

"What about me?" asked Suki right back.

"You gave up being a Kyoshi Warrior…," started Sokka.

"Yes, I did. I chose you," said Suki.

"But now, if I become chief, we'll have to live here," said Sokka.

"Yes, I know," said Suki matter-of-factly. "I chose _you_."

Sokka stared at her for a few seconds and then drew her in for a tight bear hug. "I love you," he said.

The hug broke and Suki looked into Sokka's eyes. "Sokka, I knew what being with you meant. I expected you would be chief someday. I didn't think it would be quite this early, but I knew…," said Suki.

They kissed deeply and passionately.

"I guess I should, uh, go to Aang's now," said Sokka rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and trying to figure out how best to end the encounter.

"That would probably be prudent," said Suki. "Goodnight, Sokka." She gave him one last kiss before turning to return to the bedroom

"Goodnight, Suki," he replied and left the house.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next morning, the ladies all met at Suki's house and the guys all went to Aang's. It was an eerily familiar routine that they would, yet again repeat, this time for Sokka and Suki. 

"So when's the next wedding?" joked Katara to the others at the house with her.

Suki turned to Katara. "That would have to be Toph, wouldn't it? Toph! When are you getting married?"

"Oh no. Just because you guys had to _prove_ your love by getting married, I want nothing to do with it," Toph replied.

"And you said Duke was too young for a relationship. Sounds like you're a little young yourself," said Katara.

"It's _The_ Duke!" Toph replied, blushing just a bit.

"So Suki, who is walking you down the aisle?" asked Katara. "Your parents aren't here, right?"

"Yeah, Dad's too sick to travel, so we celebrated with my parents while we were still back on Kyoshi. But I'm surprised you don't know who is walking me down the aisle!" replied Suki.

"It can't be my Dad," said Katara. "He can barely walk as it is."

"It's Aang silly," said Suki.

"Really," said Katara.

"Who better to give away the bride than the Avatar himself?" commented Toph.

Next door, a very similar situation was unfolding at Aang's house.

"Are you nervous Sokka?" asked Zuko.

"A little, I guess," he replied. "I have to tell you guys something."

"What is it Sokka?" asked Aang.

"If I seem a little distracted, I have a lot on my mind today," said Sokka.

"Well, duh," said Zuko.

"Statement of the year," said Aang.

"No – you don't understand. My Dad wants me to be chief. He's stepping down," he blurted out.

"What?" said Zuko.

"No way!" said Aang.

"And he told you this recently?" asked Zuko.

"Yeah, last night actually," answered Sokka.

"He hit you with that the night before your wedding?" asked Zuko.

"I'm glad he did. It wouldn't have been fair to Suki to have her marry me and then for me to become chief. We had planned to travel the world before settling down and now….now I need to stay here," said Sokka.

"So she's ok with it?" asked Zuko.

"I asked her last night and she still wants to get married," said Sokka.

"Of course she does…she loves you," said Aang.

"I know. It's just so…sudden," said Sokka.

"Sokka – it's your wedding day. Try to enjoy that before worrying about what comes next," said Aang.

"Ok, I will," said Sokka. "How do I look?" he asked, turning to face his friends having just finished dressing in his fancy robes.

"Like a groom," said Zuko.

"How do _I_ look?" asked Aang, who was in his fanciest robes as well and was now modeling them for his friends.

"Better than Sokka!" said Zuko.

"Oh c'mon!" yelled Sokka. Zuko and Aang smiled at being able to get under Sokka's skin yet again.

"I'm going to get Suki," said Aang as he walked out the door.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The water tribe refinished the area right outside of the village where Aang and Katara got married for Sokka and Suki's wedding. Other than the obviously smaller guest list, everything looked just about the same.

Sokka stood at the front of the audience and waited for Suki and Aang to appear.

A few minutes later, Suki and Aang emerged from the village and walked toward the crowd. Slowly but surely, they made their way up to where Sokka was standing. Aang handed Suki's arm over to Sokka and took a seat in the second row. Hakoda, Kanna, and Katara all sat next to where Sokka stood. At Hakoda's request, Pakku now stood as the master of ceremonies since he was no longer in any shape to be standing for any long periods of time.

"I bid you welcome on this joyous day," said Pakku. "Today we are witnesses to the marriage of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe and Suki of Kyoshi Island in the Earth Kingdom. I invite them to now state their vows." Pakku then stepped down.

Sokka grabbed both of Suki's hands in front of him and began speaking. "Suki, I will never forget the day I first met you. You tied Katara, Aang and me up and threatened to throw us to the Unagi. I then spent the next few days calling you a girl implying that girls were weak and incapable. It's hard to believe we could actually make it to this day given that rocky start. I learned so much from you over that next year – respect, honor, and dedication are just three that come to mind. And it was during that year that I came to first love you. No one has ever supported me and loved me as unconditionally as you have. I am truly honored that you have chosen me to be your husband. I will spend the rest of my life as your best friend, lover, and father of your children. I love you with all of my heart."

Suki then spoke. "Sokka, growing up on Kyoshi Island, there was nothing more that I wanted out of life than to be a Kyoshi Warrior. I trained and trained and even became their leader. I could not imagine that anything or anyone in this world would be more important to me than my Kyoshi Warriors. Then I met you and my life changed forever. Sokka, you are my friend and love, always beside me in laughter and tears. I want the two of us to live the rest of our lives together no matter where that ends up being. Our life journey begins today with this first step of pledging our love. I will love you and support you in everything you do. I will be at your side no matter what. I love you."

The two kissed in front of all their guests. A few wolf-whistles ensued - then a bit of clapping.

Sokka and Suki walked past all their guests again – this time as husband and wife – and then they turned to face everyone again. "Let's get the parted started!" shouted Sokka.

The festivities lasted well into the night. Dancing, music, and a ton of food were seen across the area where the ceremony took place. Everyone was having a great time.

About an hour into it, Hakoda stood up and asked for everyone's attention. When all was finally quiet, he started to speak. "Fellow citizens of the Southern Water Tribe. It is with regret that I stand here today to inform you of my intention to step down as your chief."

A low, mumbling roar could be heard from the wedding guests. Hakoda held up his hand to ask for silence once again.

"Don't fret. I have found a worthy successor - my son, Sokka, who we are already celebrating today" And he grabbed Sokka by the forearm and they shared a manly bear hug. "Please feel free to congratulate him this evening, not only on his marriage to this wonderful woman, but on his new position in this tribe."

Lots of talking broke out and many people hounded Sokka right away to congratulate the new chief.

Sokka later took his father aside for a private conversation. "Dad, I know you want to transition as fast as possible, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure what is it, Sokka?" Hakoda replied.

"Suki and I were planning a honeymoon and I still want to go," said Sokka.

"I never expected you not to take a honeymoon," said Hakoda.

"Great. Suki and I wanted to get one more training session in with Master Piandao before any of my training to be chief started," said Sokka. "I know there is a lot I need to learn and I should get started right away – but I really want to get some last lessons in before my life becomes totally crazy."

"Sure, I don't see why not…," said Hakoda.

"Thanks, Dad," replied Sokka.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The group gathered at Aang's house the next day for a brunch before heading back to their respective towns and villages.

In one corner of the living room, Mai and Katara talked about their respective pregnancies….

"So Mai, what's been the hardest part so far?" asked Katara.

"Well, because you are asking _me_, I'd probably say the exhaustion. But if you had asked Zuko, he would have said the hormones. Imagine me even moodier than I already am," Mai said.

Katara snickered a little. "I hated the morning sickness. It always hits between lunch and dinner."

"I only threw up twice," said Mai flatly.

"Lucky," said Katara.

Suki and Sokka spoke to Aang about hitching a ride to Shu Jing on Appa with him and Katara…

"Aang, you and Katara are headed back the Eastern Air Temple, right?" asked Sokka.

"Yup. I need to get back to training my airbenders," replied Aang.

"Would you mind taking an extra day or two and dropping us off at Shu Jing?" asked Sokka.

"Going back to see Piandao?" asked Aang.

"Now that Sokka's going to be the chief, we won't have nearly the amount of time with him that we would have liked," said Suki. "So we wanted to honeymoon at his estate and get one last week of training in."

"Sure, we can drop you off there," said Aang.

Zuko, Toph, and The Duke didn't say much while the others were talking. It was just the occasional comment in between stuffing their food in their mouths.

Toph let out a large belch and all conversation stopped for only an instant. "Toph! Ewww!" Katara yelled, but then she turned and continued what she was doing. Aang, Zuko and Sokka snickered.

After everyone was done eating, they packed up and headed out. Appa had Aang, Katara, Sokka and Suki on his back. It took one long day to get to Shu Jing to drop off Sokka and Suki. Then onto Gaoling for another night with Toph's parents. (Even though Toph could have easily hitched a ride on Appa, there wasn't quite enough room for her and The Duke - and besides that, she wasn't exactly thrilled about going home anyway). After one final day in the air, they were back at the Eastern Air Temple.

They arrived just before nightfall.

"I am so glad to be home!" said Katara to her husband. "My back is killing me!"

Aang, being the loving husband that he is, totally pampered Katara that evening by drawing her a long, hot bath and then giving her a gentle massage. 

"I'm sorry that was so hard on you," said Aang.

"Don't worry about it. I needed to go to help my Dad and attend the wedding, didn't I? I'm just sore. I don't think I have any long trips on Appa ahead of me anytime soon though," she said.

"Well, I don't have any plans to go anywhere for the time being. No one else is getting married, right?" asked Aang.

"Not that I'm aware of," answered Katara. "But knowing us, _something_ will come up. It always does."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara spent the next day catching up with everyone at the Eastern Air Temple. Believe it or not, life here was relatively stable and routine. There were still continual improvements being made to the place, airbenders continued to practice their levels, and all the children would attend their daily lessons. Even without Aang or Katara present, life moved on at a steady pace.

One of the first things they did when they returned was to check on Suwan. Even through Haruko was more than capable at caring for pregnant women (she had two children of her own, after all), there was still no comparison to having capable waterbender healers available to look after you.

They knocked on her door after breakfast. Ping answered the door.

"Avatar Aang and Katara. What brings you by?" he asked.

"Aang? Aang?" came a small voice from behind the door. It was Huashang, Ping and Suwan's four year old son. He slowly emerged so Aang and Katara could see him.

"Huashang! How are you?" Aang asked as he swept the boy up off his feet and into his arms.

"Aang, where have you been?" asked Huashang.

"I'm sorry Huashang," said Aang. "I've got an important job and many friends who don't live here with us. So sometimes I need to go away for a little bit."

"That's ok," said Huashang. "We just miss you."

Katara interrupted to answer Ping's original question. "We came by to check on Suwan. She has to be getting close."

"She's almost eight months in," said Ping. "I'll take you to her."

Ping escorted Katara and Aang to the living room where they found Suwan on the sofa reading. She looked up when she heard them enter the room.

"Master Aang and Master Katara," she said. She attempted to get up quickly off of the sofa – but was obviously slower than usual given the size of her belly.

"That's ok, Suwan. Stay down. I know you'd want to bow, but I think you have a pretty good excuse not to get up," said Aang.

"We came by to check you," said Katara. "Is now a good time?"

"Sure, we can head back to the bedroom," answered Suwan.

Suwan grabbed Ping's hands and he helped pull her to her feet. She started walking to the bedroom followed by Katara then Aang.

"How have practices been going?" asked Aang.

"I think some of the airbenders are out practicing now," answered Suwan. "I'm just not able to get a lot of the stances correct. I'm having a hard time and I think it is my shifted center of gravity. I wanted to wait until you got back before doing a lot more."

Suwan lied down on the bed and pulled up her shirt. Katara took her water out of her pouch and bended it to Suwan's round belly. The water emitted a glow.

After a minute or so, Katara put the water back into her pouch.

"What did you see?" asked Suwan.

"Looks perfect," said Katara. "I'd say about another month."

Suwan pulled her shirt back down and rolled up to a sitting position.

"So Master Aang, will you begin training again soon?" asked Suwan.

"I was thinking tomorrow. Will I see you there after breakfast?" Aang asked.

"Definitely," was the reply.

OlOlOlOlOlO

At the lunch table, Aang and Katara sat with Deshi and Haruko. Although they were a generation apart in terms of ages, they still considered them very good friends.

"I was so glad to hear that Suwan's baby is doing well," said Aang to Katara.

"Oh, did you two visit Suwan this morning?" asked Haruko.

"I wanted to make sure she was ok. It has been over a month since we last checked her," said Katara.

"Do you think the baby will be another airbender?" asked Deshi.

"We won't know that for a long time," said Aang. "Normally, we don't discover airbenders until they are a year or two old."

"Well, I _know_ that already," said Deshi. "I have a son who's an airbender, _remember_?"

"Oh, I forgot," said Aang. "For some reason, I don't think of you and Kochi as father and son since I consider you both my good friends."

"Did anything exciting happen while we were gone?" asked Katara.

"Not really," replied Haruko. "Though I think Aang will be delighted when he holds his next practice."

"Why's that?" Aang asked.

"Youfeng and Meifeng have done an excellent job at tutoring the other airbenders on their gliders," said Haruko.

"That's wonderful," remarked Aang. "I'm glad they took the initiative."

"How is your father, Katara?" asked Deshi.

"He's fine now. He needs a cane to walk though," said Katara.

"Oh my," said Haruko.

"By the time Sokka got married, he was up and around again," said Katara. "But he did decide to step down as chief."

"That's too bad," said Deshi. "Who is going to be the new chief?" he asked having lived in the Southern Water Tribe for a month before Aang and Katara's wedding.

"Actually, it's Sokka," replied Aang.

"Sokka?" remarked Haruko. "Stars in heaven I didn't expect him to be named chief so soon."

"I guess they thought he was ready," answered Katara. "He and Suki went to Shu Jing for a week then they'll be moving back to the Southern Water Tribe permanently."

"I guess you'll be visiting there more often then," said Deshi.

"Actually, I'm not going anywhere for a little while," said Katara.

Deshi and Haruko looked puzzled.

"I'm pregnant," she said. "I just don't want to be 'on the go' anymore, y'know? I really didn't enjoy that last little outing on Appa."

"Well, congratulations you two," said Haruko.

"Such exciting news!" remarked Deshi at about the same time.

"How far along are you?" asked Haruko.

"About three months," answered Katara. "We didn't want to tell anyone at first, but the news came out while we were at the south pole so we figured there was no sense in hiding it anymore."

"Three months? You couldn't keep it a secret for very much longer anyway," said Haruko.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang held his first airbender training session since his return the next morning after breakfast. Five of the airbenders were already working on their moves when Aang walked out to the practice field. Suwan was there as well, but she worked on mostly easier forms such that her body wasn't being thrown around as much. Many airbender forms require quick spins or throwing your body around and that just wasn't going to happen anymore.

Aang stood back and watched his students for a while.

Then he announced. "Ok everyone, grab your gliders and start flying. Suwan, you might want to skip this one. Just keep practicing what you already are."

To his amazement, the three younger students were so much more proficient than when he left. Like Youfeng and Meifeng, they could all start "cold", meaning they could twirl their staffs while standing in place and simply jump into the air and start flying. They no longer needed to jump off of a cliffside, or do a run-and-jump.

Aang walked over to Youfeng. "Have you been working with them?"

"Yes, Master Aang," said Youfeng. "They were having some trouble and so I simply gave them some pointers that helped me."

"Great job," replied Aang. "I'm not sure if we need much more glider training. They seem to have it down for the most part."

Once everyone was back on the ground, Aang said to his students, "You will never stop learning on your glider. I see you have perfected all the basics. There are, of course, more advanced maneuvers, but those are simply things that will require practice on your part. So I encourage you to spend some of your practice time on your gliders just so you can continually improve. As far as official levels of airbending, you have all mastered Level 6 and Level 12. Great job!"

He turned to the four lower level students and proceeded to teach them everything through Level 13, just as he had done with Meifeng and Youfeng before. His advanced students demonstrated the new forms for the students before they went off and started practicing them on their own.

Aang then took Meifeng and Youfeng to the other side of the practice area. "You two are now ready for your next levels – levels 14 to 17. Level 14 is deflection of small objects. It is a defensive maneuver that will enable you to prevent being struck by an object, such as a rock, or a knife, that is being thrown at you. It is very useful – and will lead into the more difficult move of deflecting larger objects. Level 15 is an air blast from your hands."

"But Master Aang, we learned air blast at level 3," said Meifeng.

"Yes, we did. But the level 3 air blast was done with momentum. You could use footwork to get into your stance. Level 15 requires that you can do this with no introductory footwork. You must simply generate the blast while standing there."

"Oh, that sounds a lot harder," replied Meifeng.

"From what I've seen, I'm sure you'll do fine, Meifeng," said Aang. "Level 16 is what I like to call an air ball. You need to be able to generate a small ball of air between your two hands. It can be tossed at an opponent to knock them off balance."

"This reminds me of your air scooter," said Youfeng.

"Yes – as a matter of fact, I took the air ball concept one step further. Instead of throwing the ball, you put it on the ground and sit on it. You are exactly right," said Aang. "And finally, Level 17 is an air funnel – a small vortex that can direct objects. I used that one once with to shoot coal at some Fire Nation soldiers during the war."

Aang proceeded to show his two advanced students their new forms and stances. They practiced for about an hour before he suggested a game of air ball to end their morning of official training on a fun note.

OlOlOlOlOlO

That evening, Katara lie in bed with her eyes closed and both of her hands on her abdomen.

"Is everything ok?' asked Aang.

"Oh, everything's fine," she replied. "I was just thinking about how random it seems that some mothers have so much difficulty with their unborn children like Fei Yen did. And others like Suwan, have no issues at all."

"You're not worried, are you?" asked Aang.

"No, not really. Speaking of Fei Yen, I wonder how she and her family are doing in the Earth Kingdom," said Katara.

"You should send a messenger hawk," remarked Aang. "Just to touch base."

"I think I will…..tomorrow," she said. "I'm tired right now."

Aang crawled into bed next to her and put his left hand on her abdomen. "And who can blame you?" He ran his hand across her lower belly and smiled."

"What?" she asked. "Why are you smiling?"

"My dear wife, you are definitely sporting a small bump. You've popped!" said Aang.


	40. Chapter 40

**23 Months ASC**

Weeks went by and life at the Eastern Air Temple steadily marched on.

It was late one night after dinner when some of the other residents noticed a messenger hawk on a railing outside of the dining area.

"Aang, there is a messenger hawk outside," said Min.

"Thanks, Min. I'll get it," replied Aang.

Aang jumped up to retrieve the scroll from the messenger hawk.

"What is it?" shouted Katara to her husband who was still outside.

Aang slowly walked back in as he read the scroll.

"Hmmmm….interesting," said Aang. "It's from Iroh."

"Iroh? That's a name I haven't heard for a little while," said Katara. "And it's been so long since we've received a message from him. What does he want?"

"I'll tell you, but let's wait until we're back in our place," replied Aang.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara made their way up to their place after spending a pleasant evening with some of the other Air Temple residents. On their way up the stairs, Katara pleaded Aang to slow down.

"What's wrong?" asked Aang.

"Oh nothing," said Katara. "I've just been getting winded a bit quicker lately. My waterbending practices haven't been quite as enjoyable as they usually are either."

"I'm sorry to hear that," replied Aang, still walking towards their room.

"Don't be. It comes with the territory. This is all so we can have this baby, don't forget," said Katara.

After they entered the room, Aang sat down at a table and unfurled the scroll. Another, smaller scroll was wrapped in the first scroll and it fell onto the table.

"Two scrolls?" noted Katara.

"Let me share this one with you first," said Aang.

_Katara, _

_You are hereby being summoned by the Order of the White Lotus to appear at the Fire Nation Capital City palace in two months time._

_Pakku_

"Well, that's vague," she said aloud.

"I think I know what it's about," remarked Aang.

"I'm not supposed to be sharing the information in this scroll with you, but I learned my lesson last time," said Aang. "Plus I'm sure Iroh knows what he shares with me will pretty much automatically be shared with you."

"I won't say a word to anyone," promised Katara.

"It looks like the Order of the White Lotus has made some recent decisions," said Aang.

"You're not a member, why would Iroh be sending you a scroll about his secret society?" asked Katara.

"Apparently, that _is_ one of the decisions," replied Aang. He read aloud,

_Aang,_

_I hope life finds both you and Katara well. _

"At least he's being a bit more personable than Pakku was," said Katara.

"Oh, you know Pakku," said Aang.

_We've recently had a meeting of the higher-level members of the Order of the White Lotus. It is our first since the war ended. I know you don't know our ways, but I need to share a few things with you. _

_First of all, with this scroll, you will find Katara's invitation to a gathering in two months at Zuko's palace. You, as the Avatar, are also invited. You need to come._

_Secondly, we rarely expand our membership. We must find people who are dedicated to scholarship, beauty, philosophy or art. To be honest, there are some of us who are really getting up there in age. We've decided to expand at this time. The way that it works is that each senior member may choose a new member to join. Once the vote is made, the new member will be part of us. You've figured out by now that Pakku has chosen Katara. Piandao has chosen Sokka, Bumi has chosen Toph, and I have chosen Zuko. There is one last decision that we are pondering, but I cannot tell you in this scroll as it may not come to pass._

_Finally, I wanted to explain to you that you will not be asked to join the Order of the White Lotus. You are the Avatar and as much as I respect you and care for you, joining an organization such as ours is beneath you. You are responsible for things on a much higher plane than what we concern ourselves with. Can you imagine you reporting to a Grand Lotus because you are a newer member? Oh, I don't think so. You are always welcome to any gathering we hold. But I wanted to explain better why you were not on the membership list. I hope you understand._

_Iroh_

"Ahhh," said Katara. "I understand Pakku's scroll now. So, Order of the White Lotus, eh? I can't believe they would even consider _me_."

"I take it you want to be a part of it then," said Aang.

"Of course! It is a great honor to be asked to join. Only great masters and scholars are asked to join," said Katara. "The only thing I'm a little hesitant about is the journey. I'll be six months pregnant by then."

Aang didn't immediately know what to say. He and Katara both knew that this was a trip that needed to be taken, but he could see that she dreaded the days it would take to get there on Appa.

"I guess there is no getting around this. We need to go…and just when I thought we'd be here at the Eastern Air Temple for a while," said Katara.

OlOlOlOlOlO

**2 years ASC**

Aang entered his home at the Eastern Air Temple after spending a quiet night meditating in his private practice area. He expected to find Katara inside in the living room, or perhaps even the bedroom. But she wasn't there.

_I wonder where she is? _

He sat down and read a few scrolls that had come in over the past couple of days. Because he was the Avatar, many of the towns from around the world regularly sent him "courtesy updates" as to the state of the world. Thus far, nothing was of any concern. It seemed that the world was sick of war because all Aang ever heard about were – well, were not very significant issues that would need an Avatar's intervention.

He plopped down on the sofa with a couple of the scrolls and closed his eyes for a brief second, resting.

_sniff_

"Katara?" said Aang out loud. "Katara, are you here?"

_sniff_

Aang got up and headed towards the sounds. It turned out they were emanating from the bathroom. He firebended a small flame in his hand and held it high so he could see into the dark room.

On the floor was Katara in a balled position with her head resting against her knees. She had obviously been crying.

"Katara?" said Aang bending down to talk to his wife. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Aang," she replied wiping the area under her red puffy eyes.

He sat down next to her on the cold floor.

"It can't be nothing. You are obviously upset about something," he replied. "Please talk to me."

Katara didn't say anything.

"Is it the trip we are taking to the Fire Nation?" Aang asked.

"No, no – we need to go to that. That's not it anyway," she said.

"Katara, I can't help you if you won't talk to me," pleaded Aang.

"I just had a moment of weakness," she replied. "It's…._so_ hard being pregnant sometimes. And now everyone knows. I just feel like everyone is staring at me all the time. I wish it were still a secret."

"Katara, everyone is excited about the baby," answered Aang. "They love us and now a new life is being created who will be a combination of the two of us."

"I know. I'm excited about the baby, too. Don't get me wrong. It's the fact that my waterbending isn't as good anymore. I don't have the stamina I once did. And there's this," she said as she held her small bump. "I can see it growing. It's going to be in the way."

Aang giggled a little bit. "And you didn't know this before you got pregnant?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. Like I said, I was having a moment of weakness. I didn't expect you to come home and catch me crying on the bathroom floor," she said. "I just don't feel as…pretty anymore. My face looks blotchy. My gums bleed when I brush my teeth. And there's this," she said as she pulled her skirt open to reveal a few new marks on her sides. "Stretch marks!"

Aang merely smiled knowing he probably wasn't going to win this battle easily.

"Katara, you are still beautiful. You always were, and you always will be. I still find you highly attractive despite all your….um….issues, which I don't even notice by the way. And now you are carrying my child which makes you even more attractive to me," he explained.

"You still find me attractive?" she sheepishly asked.

"Umm, let me think. Yes, I do," he said with a snarky tone. "You think a little thing like this is going to make you any different in my eyes?" Aang put his hand gingerly on her abdomen.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It was early in the morning when Aang and Katara were awakened by the sunlight just beginning to peek into their bedroom. Seeing that his wife was waking up, Aang nudged his body closer to hers and put his ear on her barely rounded belly.

"Do you hear anything?" Katara asked.

"No. Well, let me rephrase that. You're hungry, aren't you?" he replied.

"Always," she said.

"Whoa!" he said as he lifted his head quickly.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

"I sure did. How long has that been going on?" Aang asked.

"Oh, just a couple of days," she replied. "I keep feeling it, but when I look down to actually see a kick or a punch, it never comes. I was going to tell you, but I wanted to be sure there was something to see first."

"I'd call that something," said Aang excited with his new discovery.

He leaned his up to his wife and gave her a kiss. Aang put his hand back on her belly to see if he could feel another thump.

It was a lazy morning with no one needing to go anywhere anytime soon. Although airbender training was important to Aang, he knew it was prudent not to overtrain and that the students needed days off now and again. This was one of those days.

The calm only lasted a short while though. Before Aang and Katara even got dressed for their day, a fierce banging came on their door.

"Aang! Katara!" shouted a voice from the other side of the door. The couple immediately recognized it as Ping.

"I bet its Suwan," said Katara and she flew out of the bed as fast as she could.

Aang, too, got up and put on the closest pants he could find and answered the door.

"Ping, is everything ok?" asked Aang.

"Suwan is having the baby. She sent me to come get you," said Ping.

"Do you know when she started?" asked Katara.

"I'm actually not sure. I practically ran out the door when I saw she was in labor. I know she was up before me," said Ping.

"We'll be right there, Ping. Go stay with Suwan," said Katara.

Katara and Aang continued getting dressed and ran out the door. There were not very presentable by any means, but they figured for what they needed to do, no one would really care.

They rushed down to Ping and Suwan's room. Ping had left the door slightly ajar allowing Aang and Katara easy access.

"Suwan?" Katara called out loud.

"I'm in here Katara!" came a voice from one of the bedrooms. Katara made her way to where the voice came from, followed closely by Aang.

"Suwan, you look like you might just have a baby today," said Katara.

"What gave it away?" Suwan answered while huffing and puffing a little bit. "Wait! Here comes another one!" With that, Suwan closed her eyes and made a very tight scrunched face for about half a minute until the contraction pain subsided.

"We were worried about you, Suwan," said Aang. "Ping was pretty stressed when he came to our door this morning."

"Don't mind him," Suwan answered. "He's just overly worried. Everything's fine. It's a completely natural process and he's just being paranoid – like having a baby is a major illness or something."

"I'll be the judge of how thing are," said Katara. She opened her water pouch and placed water-covered hands on Suwan's bulging abdomen. She concentrated for a few moments before she took her hands away.

"Aang, remember how you lessened Fei Yen's pain when we were up at the north pole?" asked Katara.

Aang nodded and immediately got the hint. "Mind if I used your bending water?" he asked. Katara nodded in return.

Katara next checked Suwan's progress.

"Wow, you're almost there! How long have you been in labor anyway?" asked Katara.

"A few hours," said Suwan. "I knew Ping would panic when he found me in labor so I didn't tell him right away."

"Suwan!" shouted Ping upon hearing this.

"Ping, I'm fine!" Suwan shouted back at her husband.

"But you were in pain all this time," noted Katara.

"I've done it before," said Suwan. "Though I do appreciate the assistance with the pain now that you're here. Thanks, Aang."

The bedroom door was forcefully pushed open.

"Mama! Mama! Is the baby comin'?" said Huashang.

"I was wondering where he went," said Aang.

"He's been staying nights with Haruko 'just in case,'" said Suwan.

"Huashang!" came another voice. "Huashang, are you in here?" It was Haruko.

She stuck her head in the bedroom and grabbed the little boy's arm. "I'm sorry Suwan. He got away from me. He wants to see the baby so badly."

"That's ok Haruko. We just appreciate you taking him while all _this_ is going on," said Suwan.

"Come on, Huashang," said Haruko dragging the little boy back out the door.

Suwan beared down again and the room went silent as if talking or noises would make the pain any worse.

"How long do you think, Katara?" asked Ping.

"Since this is her second, I'd estimate just a few more hours," she answered. "It can be hard to tell though."

Aang and Katara sat by Suwan's side until the early afternoon. After only a half hour of pushing, a little girl was born.

Katara swadled Suwan and Ping's new daughter in a blanket and placed her on top of Suwan's chest so she could see her.

"Great job, Suwan," said Katara. "She's beautiful."

"Piece of cake," Suwan replied. "Master Aang?"

"Yes, Suwan?" Aang replied.

"I think I'm going to miss some airbending training," Suwan said.

Aang laughed in response. "Yeah, I think so."

"Have you thought of a name?" asked Katara.

Suwan looked at Ping, who nodded back at her. "I think we've decided on Shaila."

"Shaila. That's beautiful. What does it mean?" asked Katara.

"It means 'daughter of the mountain,'" replied Suwan.

"Well, that certainly fits," said Aang. "He leaned in and the touched the newborn. Shaila grabbed Aangs finger and squeezed. "Little Shaila…"

OlOlOlOlOlO

**25 months ASC**

It had been two months since the scrolls from Iroh and Pakku had arrived at the Eastern Air Temple. Aang and Katara spent a few hours packing up some necessities for the trip to the Fire Nation capital.

Katara had entered her sixth month of pregnancy and her stomach had definitely been growing. The baby kicked regularly and Aang loved to watch her stomach move before his very eyes each morning and evening when he lifted up her night clothes to watch.

There were other perks Aang enjoyed while Katara was in her second trimester. Whereas their sex life had diminished during the first three months of pregnancy – mostly due to exhaustion and morning sickness, Katara had practically been attacking him every time they found themselves alone for any period of time as of late.

Both Aang and Katara knew they were going to the Fire Nation capital for the Order of the White Lotus, but there was a tremendous amount of uncertainty about what exactly they were going for. Katara was aware that she and several of her friends were going to be asked to join, but what did that mean exactly? Did she need to do something? Prove her worth perhaps? This, along with the two days flying on Appa caused her to be a bit nervous about the whole thing.

Appa took off into the western sky early one morning.

"Katara?" asked Aang. She looked over at him. "I have a surprise for you."

He was also in the saddle with Katara instead of being on Appa's head like he so often was. He sat in a half lotus by her feet and picked one up and started massaging it.

"Oh, that feels so good," she said.

"We're going to have a long journey to Gaoling where I've already asked Toph's parents for their hospitality," said Aang.

"I figured we'd stop there again," she said.

"But then I also made arrangements to stay a night in Omashu and one more in Shu Jing as well. I know the trip will technically be longer, but hopefully you'll be happier with more breaks away from Appa's saddle," he said.

Appa growled, as if thinking it was his fault that Katara was not enjoying his flying. Aang turned to talk to his friend, "No buddy, it's not you. She's just not in great flying shape these days because of the baby." Appa grunted in apparent understanding.

"Aang, that's great. I really appreciate you looking out for me," replied Katara. "And I _really_ appreciate you not making me camp at all. Hard ground isn't really inviting right now."

They arrived in front of Zuko's palace in the mid-morning a few days later. Appa growled and Sokka ran out and met his sister.

"Katara!" Sokka yelled.

"You're here," she noted.

"Yeah, you guys are the last ones actually. Toph arrived last night. Suki and I came two days ago," said Sokka.

"So, do you know what is going on?" Katara asked.

"I know more now than I did before I got here. You know how Suki and I went to Master Piandao's house right after the wedding?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah," said Katara.

"We trained hard and received a lot of great compliments from Master Piandao. I was sad to leave, but happy to be returning home to start working with Dad on what I needed to know to be chief. I was looking at the sunset on the ship taking us home and Suki handed me a scroll. Apparently, Master Piandao slipped it into my things before I left and Suki found it," said Sokka.

"And what did it say?" asked Katara.

"It just said that I needed to be here in about two months and that it had something to do with the Order of the White Lotus," said Sokka.

"I got one from Pakku, too," said Katara.

"Yeah, Zuko, Toph and I were talking last night and Zuko filled us in on a few things. They _are_ using his palace for whatever they have us here for, after all. It figures he would know a little more about what is going on," said Sokka.

"Let's go inside and get settled in," said Katara. "Then you can tell me everything you found out."

Katara and Aang were met by one of Zuko's employees at the front door who then showed them to their room. Toph, Sokka, and Suki also had rooms along the same hallway. Once the travelers had unpacked a bit, they went to Sokka and Suki's room and knocked on their door.

"Coming!" said Suki's voice from behind the door.

"Hi Suki," Katara said once Suki had opened the door. "How are you?"

"Katara! It's so great to see you again," said Suki. "Wow, you've….grown!"

"Aang and I are headed to the dining room to get some lunch. Are you guys hungry?" Katara asked.

"Sure, just a second," she said as she closed the door slightly and said something to her husband.

They reappeared and all four friends made their way to the small dining room. Toph was already there chowing down.

"Hey guys," she blurted out, her mouth still half-full of food.

They all took a seat at the table and started to eat. Zuko soon appeared at the doorway. "I guess you guys aren't shy about making yourselves at home here."

"Hey Zuko!" said Aang. "How are things?"

"Oh, you know," was the reply.

Zuko took a seat next to his friends.

"Where's Mai?" asked Suki.

"She's not feeling that great today. She only has about a month to go and she's not sleeping or eating very well at all," Zuko replied.

"I can't wait 'til that's me," said Katara flatly.

"Zuko, what's going on with this Order of the White Lotus thing?" asked Aang.

"I think you know most of it," Zuko said. "They have chosen new members to join the Order and that's why you're here. We need to be inducted and trained about the ways of the Order."

Suki had a sad look on her face. Sokka rubbed her back to console her.

"What's wrong Suki?" asked Katara.

"I'm really happy for all you guys. I'm sure once you are members, you'll be asked to jump at a moment's notice and 'help the world'. I just kind of wish I was going to be a part of it, y'know?" was her reply.

"Oh, I didn't realize," said Katara. She started going over the inviters and the invitees and noted that Suki's name was not among the ones who had supposedly received a scroll.

"I'll be ok. I'm happy Sokka will be a member and I'm sure I'll hear all the stories through him," Suki said. "Besides, I'm sure we'll be starting a family pretty soon and I won't have the time to go gallivanting with small children in the house."

Aang pondered Iroh's scroll from two months ago. He remembered it had said something about one last decision that the Order was thinking about. His brow furrowed as he thought.

"Aang, what are you thinking?" asked Katara.

"Iroh told me there was another decision that needed to be made. Zuko, do you know anything about that?" asked Aang.

"No, sorry," he said. "But now that we're all here, I'm sure we'll find out soon."

"Where's Iroh?" asked Sokka. "I thought I would have seen him by now."

"They're meeting right now, actually," said Zuko. "They've been holed up for about 2 days now. I guess they don't all get together too often so when they do, they have a lot to talk about."

"That makes sense," said Sokka.

The gang enjoyed their meal and caught up on their lives since they last saw each other at Sokka and Suki's wedding. Not much time had gone by, so the conversation turned into making fun of Sokka for one thing or another. Everyone was taking pleasure from the reunion.

Katara excused herself and went back to her and Aang's room for just a moment so she could freshen up a bit. She found a scroll on the bed and read it. She informed her friends of the scroll upon her return to the dining room.

"Hey you guys, look what I found," she said.

"Where'd you get that?" asked Suki.

"It was on the bed when I went back to our room," she answered.

_Katara and Aang,_

_Our first formal meeting will take place at dinner this evening at the palace. Please be sure to arrive just before sundown outside the main dining area._

_OWL_

Sokka and Zuko left the dining room and reemerged only minutes later, each with their own scroll.

"Toph, don't you want to see if you got a scroll, too?" asked Suki.

"Nah. I can't read it anyway. I'm just going to assume I did and go to dinner tonight with you guys," Toph replied.

"Well, this is strange," said Sokka.

"What?" asked Katara.

"My scroll is addressed to me and Suki," said Sokka.

"But I wasn't even invited to come here for this," Suki said.

"I don't know," said Sokka. "It says that we should both come to dinner."

"I guess I have a dinner to go to then," said Suki.

OlOlOlOlOlO

The six friends gathered in the hallway outside of the main dining area just before sundown. Toph and Aang both looked to be ok, but the other four looked extremely nervous about the unknown event about to occur.

Iroh stuck his head out into the hallway. "Are you ready?" he chuckled to the young ones. No one smiled. They just entered the room one by one as Iroh held the door.

The main dining room was a hall that was mainly reserved for state dinners and other large Fire Nation functions. There were about 50 men in the room, all dressed in their indigo robes that most of the gang was familiar with from when they first met their Masters outside of Ba Sing Se right before it was re-conquered.

It was dim in the room. It gave the event an air of mystery and formality. The six friends recognized many of their Masters and old friends, but not many others. Iroh led them to the main table at which already sat Pakku, Piandao, and Jeong Jeong.

"Don't be nervous," Iroh leaned over and whispered in Katara's ear. She nodded in response.

Everyone sat down in their predetermined spots with Aang sitting next to Katara.

"Fellow members of the Order of the White Lotus, I welcome you to the latest induction ceremony for our brotherhood," said Iroh. "This dinner will conclude the official gathering we've enjoyed over the last few days."

"Brotherhood?" whispered Katara to Aang.

"Oh, uh….," stuttered Iroh having heard Katara's comment. "I guess we'll need to fix that." He sat back down at the table. "We have never had any women members before. You are among the first. We've always called ourselves a brotherhood, but I guess that may need to change."

"I don't care," said Toph. "If its tradition, I say we just keep it. Doesn't phase me."

Iroh nodded having heard the blind earthbender. "I'll take that into consideration."

"Iroh, what do we _do_?" asked Sokka.

"Nothing!" he replied. "You have already proven yourselves to be masters in your own right. You helped save the world from Fire Lord Ozai two years ago. You of all people deserve to be part of our great organization. There is nothing you need to _do_."

"But why am I here," asked Suki.

"In due time young lady," said Iroh. "I promise you will find out before the night is over."

A generous and tasty dinner was had by all. The stiffness of the circumstances evaporated as the young and old masters intermingled with stories and memories. Laughter was often heard emanating from the head table during the course of the meal.

Once everyone was complete with their meal, Iroh, once again, took center stage and began to speak.

"There are a few items to wrap up before we say goodbye. First of all, please join me in saying 'thank you' to Fire Lord Zuko for his generous gesture of allowing us to meet here at his palace. There were many times he had no idea what we were meeting about or who was even coming – but yet had enough trust in me to allow it."

Applause ensued from all the tables.

"Secondly, now that we have five new members of our order, they will need training in our ways. Piandao, Bumi and I will begin this training tomorrow here at the palace."

"Five new members?" Suki whispered to Sokka. "What just happened?"

Iroh noted the new questioning from Suki and addressed it. "As you know, the way that new members are chosen is that the high-level members of the Order are asked if there is anyone worthy of this honor. The five highest-level members are myself, Pakku, Piandao, Jeong Jeong, and Bumi. However, using one of my most favorite words - 'loophole' - Jeong Jeong did not have anyone to recommend whereas Piandao had two. So, my dear Suki, you have been recommended by Piandao to be a member here, but your official sponsor is Jeong Jeong, with his agreement and blessing."

"So that was the decision that they had to make after they arrived here," Aang said quietly to Katara.

"Congratulations, Suki!" said Iroh. Applause was heard from around the hall.

Suki smiled from ear-to-ear upon learning what had been going on under her nose this entire time. She now understood and was overjoyed at the prospect of being included.

"We welcome for the first time female members of the Order," said Iroh. "In preliminary communications amongst our membership, it was decided that exclusion based on gender was no longer acceptable, especially in light of what our new members have already accomplished in their short life times. Finally, I wanted to let our new members know one final thing. The Fire Nation Capital was chosen for these meetings primarily for one reason. Approximately three years ago, the Fire Temple on Crescent Island was destroyed. This was a sacred place at which the Fire Sages could pray and assist the Avatar with the good deeds that would make the world a better place. We have decided that it is time to rebuild this temple. And unlike the last one hundred years, the Fire Sages will, once again, serve the Avatar, not the Fire Lord."

Aang stood up and gave Iroh a hug. "Thanks, Iroh," he said. "This is a great day for the Fire Nation and the world."


	41. Chapter 41

Aang met Jeong Jeong and Pakku the next morning outside the main doors to the palace. Other members of the Order of the White Lotus were there as well – both benders and non-benders.

"Aang, Iroh has given me the plan for the rebuilding effort," said Pakku. "I can show you what he has in mind when we get airborne."

"Sounds good," Aang replied.

Aang, Jeong Jeong, and Pakku, along with two other members climbed into Appa's saddle and prepared for the half day's journey to Crescent Island. The rest of the Order who were able to stay a few extra weeks in the Fire Nation would follow behind using a few of the transport balloons that Zuko had agreed could be used for the effort.

Aang missed having Katara by his side, but completely understood why she and the others were not there. They needed to understand fully what being a member of the Order of the White Lotus all was about. This included getting fitted for their traditional indigo uniforms, knowing how to recognize other members in everyday life when it wasn't so obvious, get a history lesson on the Order, and learn the hierarchy. More knowledge would trickle down to them as their time in the Order increased.

Aang, Pakku and Jeong Jeong went through the plans during the flight to Crescent Island. The previous site where the temple had been was no longer going to work for the new temple. Avatar Roku had really done a number on the nice, flat cliffside overlook that used to hold the fancy building. Not only was the building destroyed, but a river of lava now flowed where it once stood.

Appa landed on the island and let a few of his passengers off so that he could more comfortably fly the high-level members and Aang around the island looking for a suitable site.

"Over there," said Aang. The island was not all that big and Aang pointed at what he thought would be the perfect place. "It is far enough away from the flowing lava and it is easily gotten to by ship if we build a dock there." He pointed to a second location not too far away where he imagined ships could eventually dock. We would just connect the two with a small road.

"But Aang, it's practically a peak right there. There is no way that a temple could be put there," said Pakku.

"No problem, Master Pakku," Aang said with a smile.

Aang guided Appa back down to the earth again.

"Stand back, this may need a little extra effort," said Aang. He closed his eyes and a flash could be seen for only an instant when he opened them back up again. He performed a very gruff-looking earthbending form and the top of what was a mountain peak crumbled and fell off the side of the mountain and into the sea.

"There," he said dusting his hands off as if what he just did got them dirty. "All ready."

"I told Iroh that there was no way that we'd be done this in only a couple of weeks. He's going to make me eat my words the next time he sees me," said Pakku.

Appa picked up the remaining Order members and brought them to this new site. A few hours later, the transport balloons, traveling at half of Appa's speed, landed as well. The supplies that the balloons carried were off-loaded.

"It's going to take forever to get all the materials here," remarked Aang.

"No worries," said Jeong Jeong. "Ships with most of the supplies were sent days ago. They should be here tomorrow if my estimates are correct."

"We'd better get ready for them then," said Aang.

With that, Aang and the others who were there made a plan about how to proceed. Some worked on the dock while others worked on the road or on the foundation of the temple. The temple looked very much like the old one did. _Tradition runs deep_, thought Aang when he studied the plans. His mind briefly turned to his trip to see the Sun Warriors with Zuko a few years ago. Zuko had remarked that the Fire Nation temples very much took after ancient Sun Warrior architecture. The new temple was no exception.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It was a few days later when Zuko, Toph, Suki and Sokka arrived on Crescent Island via transport balloon. Aang greeted them warmly when he saw them.

"Wow, Aang. You guys have really done a lot in just a few days," noted Zuko.

"It's pretty easy when you've got so many powerful benders in one place," Aang replied.

"Seems you found a great spot for the new temple," said Toph. "Nice, flat ground up there."

"How do you think it got that way?" asked Aang.

"I figured you probably got your glow on and did some major earthbending. This whole island is fully of peaks and valleys – I didn't figure there happened to be such a large flat plateau right where you wanted it," said Toph.

"So where are we?" asked Sokka. "What can we do?"

"The earthbenders have pretty much finished the road. Most of the bending work is done with the exception of some firebending to get the skeleton of the building together. Most everything else is just manual labor – finishing the dock, moving supplies, or working on the Temple," said Aang.

"Manual work, eh?" said Sokka. "I guess we came at a good time then; that's something that _I_ can do."

"Uh…where's Katara?" asked Aang.

"She stayed behind," answered Suki. "Mai is getting very close to having her baby and Katara is getting pretty big herself. She thought it best that she stay behind. She's probably not going to be able to add much here in her current state."

"Oh," said Aang, who completely understood, but was still a little disappointed.

"Don't worry Twinkletoes. You'll be back with her in no time," said Toph.

"I almost forgot to tell you - I brought you a surprise," said Zuko to his friend. "It's on the transport balloon. You should go say 'hi.'"

Aang's face now showed his utter confusion about what Zuko was talking about. "Surprise?"

"You'll like it. Go see," said Sokka.

Aang walked onto the balloon that his friends had just disembarked from. He went to the main room where most of the travelers usually sat for their journeys and found a man in there, sitting and looking out of the window.

When the man saw the Avatar, his face showed a look of surprise. Within microseconds, he was on the ground bowing to Aang. "It is an honor, Avatar Aang."

"Shyu!" Aang shouted. "It _has_ been a long time, my friend. Please get up."

Aang wrapped his arms around his friend, who also hugged back.

"You've grown!" noted Shyu.

"I know….its has been close to three years, Shyu. I always wondered what happened to you after that day at the old Temple," said Aang.

"I was in a Fire Nation prison for nearly nine months. After Fire Lord Zuko was crowned, they let me go. I was reinstated as a Fire Sage shortly after that and I've been at the Capital City Temple for the last couple of years," said Shyu.

"So what are you doing here?" asked Aang.

"They asked me to be the Great Sage for the new temple," answered Shyu. "Fire Lord Zuko invited me to see the progress of the construction since he was coming anyway. I'm not staying long. I need to gather my belongings at the other temple and prepare for the move."

"That's great! Congratulations!" answered Aang. "I've been working on a few details myself during the construction, y'know, under the Temple…"

"You mean like Avatar Roku's secret passages?" asked Shyu.

"Exactly," said Aang. "You and I will need to take a private tour and you can tell me if there is anything that you'd like here that only I can provide – if you know what I mean."

"I would enjoy that," said Shyu. "The old temple was where Avatar Roku studied and gained his ability to control the Avatar State. He made it his home for the few years he was here. This temple will likewise be uniquely yours, Aang, as it is being built on your watch."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Back at the palace, Katara had made herself as comfortable as possible in her temporary home. She tended to sleep in more often because Aang was gone - he wasn't getting up at the crack of dawn to go meditate.

She woke up so a knocking on her door one mid-morning. She rolled out of bed and put on a robe so she could see who it was. _Who on earth is knocking? Aang isn't even here!._ She slid the door open.

"Hi Katara," said the woman on the other side.

"Mai, I haven't seen you too much lately," said Katara.

"I'm not feeling up to much of anything these days," answered Mai. "But I thought we could have breakfast this morning. I need to get out a little more than I have been."

"Sure," said Katara. "Let me get my…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. You look fine the way you are. You don't have to worry about impressing the staff," said Mai.

Mai grabbed Katara by the arm and led her into the hall. The two ladies walked in virtual silence to the small dining area where most of the informal meals were eaten at the palace. Katara was a little surprised at Mai's actions because the two had never been particularly close. She liked Mai and had gotten to know her a bit here and there at various gatherings that were attended by Zuko. She considered Zuko to be one of her best friends and Mai was just his wife by association. Perhaps this occasion was a chance to become a little closer.

Katara and Mai sat across from each other at the table. A servant walked out and brought different types of foods out for the two women – sweet rolls, eggs, fruits and assorted meats.

"How are you doing, Katara? With the baby I mean," asked Mai.

"Oh, you know. The morning sickness is gone, but I am definitely slower than I used to be. Bending is harder because my center of gravity has shifted," said Katara.

"I don't know if I can ever do this again," said Mai. "The first half wasn't so bad, but I'm so tired all the time. And now I'm absolutely huge. I haven't practiced with my stilettos for weeks now."

"Hang in there, Mai. Just think about what your body is doing. You and Zuko have created a life. It's bound to take a toll on your body, but there is nothing more important or beautiful in the world than a pregnant woman."

"You really think so?" asked Mai.

"Definitely. Believe me, I've had my own doubts and after a lot of soul-searching, that is the conclusion I came to," said Katara. "Do you and Zuko have names picked out yet?"

"Yeah," replied Mai. "I wanted to go with something fire or sun-oriented and Zuko wanted to keep up the 'Z' names that the royal family always names their kids. We asked some of the scholars to find us names to pick from that may fit both criteria. So far, there's not much. Azdaja was one. It means 'dragon' in some ancient language that I never heard of. It sounds like a girl's name, don't you think?

"It's lovely actually," replied Katara. "What would you call her? Azdaja is a mouthful."

"Probably Daja," replied Mai. Katara nodded her approval. "As far as boy's names go, so far I like Uzekamanzi."

"Two Z's, right?" asked Katara.

"Yeah. We'd probably call him Manzi," said Mai. "How about you guys?"

"Aang and I haven't discussed any names yet, but I've been thinking about them though. I like Aria for a girl and Awan for a boy."

"Those are very nice, yet simple names," noted Mai. "I like them."

"So are you ready for the big day?" asked Katara.

"Half of me wants to say yes and half of me wants to say no," said Mai. "I can't wait for this to go away," she said placing both of her hands on her rotund belly. "But the pain I've heard about does scare me a little."

"Well, I'm sure Aang and I will be there for you as far as that goes," said Katara. "Have I mentioned he is getting quite good at pain control using his waterbending?"

"He's into healing now, eh?" asked Mai.

"Yeah, and he's attended two deliveries with me this past year. One was very easy and the other was very difficult," answered Katara. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"So you'll be staying until the baby is born?" asked Mai.

"I wouldn't dream of leaving when you are this close," said Katara.

"Yes, I am getting awfully close. I hope Zuko and Aang are back from Crescent Island when the baby comes," said Mai.

OlOlOlOlOlO

A week later, everyone returned to the Fire Nation capital city from Crescent Island. Katara met Appa in front of the palace. Aang jumped down off the saddle and hugged Katara tightly.

"I really missed you," he whispered in her ear.

"Me, too," she replied.

The embrace ended and Katara followed Aang into the nearby stables where Appa had his permanent stall waiting for him. Aang tossed him a few bundles of hay to placate him after the half-day journey.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Katara.

"Smoothly," was his reply. "It only took about a week and a half to put it all together. There's a new temple, dock and road connecting the two. And guess who the Great Sage of the temple is?"

"How would I know who the Great Sage is going to be?" asked Katara. "I don't know any _regular _Fire Sages let alone a high-level one."

"Remember Shyu?" asked Aang.

"Shyu? The Sage who helped us when you met with Roku the first time? Sure, I remember. I completely forgot about him. I haven't heard his name in years," said Katara.

"He and I made some personal modifications to the temple while we were there. He said since it was being built on my watch, he wanted me to personalize it a little bit," said Aang.

"What did you do?" asked Katara.

Aang smiled. "If you ever get a chance to get out there with me, I'll show you."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Everyone except Aang and Katara left over the next few days and spread across the world once again. For the time being, it was just Zuko, Mai, Aang and Katara in the palace. Their entire lives seemed to be dedicated to unborn children. Mai was over eight months pregnant and Katara was almost seven. Each conversation seemed to turn to babies and what the future was going to hold for each of the couples once their little ones came along.

**26 months ASC**

One morning, Aang rolled over to look at his wife, who was lightly sleeping next to him in the bed. It only took a few minutes for her to open her eyes and stare back at him.

"Good morning," he said quietly to her with a smile on his face.

That's when she unloaded on him. "If I have to get up and pee one more time in the middle of the night…." She grabbed her back with both palms and stretched it out.

"Oh," Aang said taken aback. "Bad night?"

"Nothing that isn't going to get worse," said Katara. "I'm sorry, Aang. I don't mean to take it out on you."

"That's ok," he said. "I can take it and apparently, you have a need to give it away."

Katara let out a soft smile at Aang's light attitude towards the situation.

"Let's get some breakfast," he said.

When they walked into the small dining room, Zuko and Mai were already in there getting a bite to eat.

"'Morning," Zuko said to the new arrivals.

"What are you doing up so early?" asked Aang.

"Mai's having some pains. We think it is just false labor," said Zuko.

Katara walked over to Mai. "Are you doing ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mai responded. "I've been getting more and more of these pains these past few days. There is no rhyme or reason to them, so I'm not too worried. The midwife said that unless there is a definite pattern that I shouldn't be concerned."

"Just the same, maybe I should check you after breakfast," said Katara.

Katara followed Mai to her bedroom after the meal was over and performed a quick check using her water.

"The baby has dropped," said Katara. "You are definitely going to go sometime really soon."

"Oh, thank you spirits!" Mai said as she looked up at the ceiling.

Katara and Mai went to find their two husbands and found them relaxing and talking in one of the many palace sitting rooms. Katara took a seat next to Aang and Mai lied down on the couch where Zuko was sitting. She put her head on his lap so he now had adequate access to rub her sore back.

They lasted about an hour before Katara popped up from her seat and started to walk out the room.

"Katara, are you going to pee?" asked Mai, still in a prone position next to Zuko.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Katara replied. "I just wasn't going to announce it to the world though, Mai."

"Sorry. I just need to go, too, and….," Mai started to sit up and she froze instantly with a look of surprise on her face.

"What is it Mai?" asked Zuko.

"I just felt a pop," Mai said.

She inserted her hand under her dress and pulled it back out again.

"I think my water just broke," she said.

"I think it's time," said Katara calmly.

The four friends made their way to Zuko and Mai's bedroom where the area was prepared by the servants for the long day that lie ahead. Mai was made as comfortable as possible – nearly naked except for a swath of fabric over her breasts and blankets piled on her to keep her warm.

The midwife was sent for and arrived in no time at all (after all, everyone concerned pretty much knew Mai could give birth at any time). She checked Mai and found that not much progress had been made yet.

"Great," said Mai flatly. "This is going to take a while isn't it?"

"How is your pain?" asked Katara.

"It's not bad yet," said Mai.

A messenger was sent to Mai's parents' house just across the courtyard from the palace. Her mother arrived to be by her daughter's side at the birth of her first granddaughter. The boys (that would be her father and Tom-Tom) decided to stick it out at home and await any news concerning the baby. Their visits would come after the stress of the delivery was over.

The day moved on as expected. Mai and her attendants did exactly as planned. As the contractions got more intense and closer together, both Katara and Aang took turns easing her pain. Every so often, Katara would also check on the baby to make sure that it was still healthy and handling the labor well.

Aang enjoyed this birth more so than any of the others he had helped with. Mai was downright hilarious most of the day berating and yelling at Zuko. Zuko had been forewarned that a woman in labor often becomes quite pointed and verbally expressive, so he was sure not to take anything she said personally – but it didn't make it any less funny. Aang and Katara found it hard not to giggle at times.

It was nearly the middle of the night when Mai finally said she had the urge to push. The midwife checked Mai internally to make absolutely sure that Mai was ready and then allowed her to do so.

It was nearly two hours later when the baby finally made its way to the world.

"Congratulations Mai, it's a girl!" said Katara, who was the one who actually guided the baby during the final stages of delivery.

Aang hugged Zuko. "A daughter!" he noted.

Katara swaddled the little girl and placed her on Mai's chest so she could see her. Zuko bent down so he could see her as well.

"She looks like a Daja, doesn't she?" said Mai to her husband. "Azdaja."

Aang and Katara stood back from the bed and wrapped their arms behind each others backs as they smiled and enjoyed the scene. Aang whispered to Katara, "You're not that far behind. Pretty soon, this will be us."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Aang and Katara stayed only one more day at the palace. They knew the importance of family bonding and didn't want to be in the way of the routine the new family would need to get into with little Daja.

A hawk was sent to find Zuko's mother, who was still traveling the world with Azula to inform her of the news.

Aang had Appa fly in a similar pattern going back to the Eastern Air Temple as when they were traveling to the Fire Nation weeks ago. Aang was doing his utmost to ensure Katara was as comfortable as possible.

When they finally arrived at home, Katara was in a bit of pain, but it was manageable. She thanked Aang for everything he did to make the journey there and back as painless as possible.

Both teens easily fell back into their regular routines. It would be only two more months until their little one made an appearance in the world. Katara did her best to keep up with her waterbending, but she found that most advanced moves were now impossible to perform. She finally felt a bit more at ease with that fact and took it to heart what was going on and why things were the way they were. She no longer fought the fact that pregnancy was not something that could be easily overlooked when going about life as usual. It _did_ affect her life, but the pay-off in the end would be worth it.

OlOlOlOlOlO

_Aang and Katara,_

_I fear I will not be in this world much longer. I wanted to write one last note to both of you to let you know how proud I am of you both. I may have overdone it a bit at the latest gathering because as soon as I got back to Omashu, I fell ill with a lingering fever. Perhaps it is just my 115 year old body telling me that I've had enough. It's been a good run and I leave this world a pretty good place thanks to the likes of you and your friends._

_Do not fret. It is just my time. And do not come to Omashu. Katara is not up to traveling and I do not wish to separate the two of you right now. Besides, by the time you get here, I may not be around anyway. _

_I do have a plan for Omashu and that is all you need to know right now. Trust me._

_Bumi_

Two tears dropped down Aang's face upon reading this scroll. Katara gave him a huge motherly hug – the kind that always made him feel better. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffed, trying to gather himself.

"What are you thinking?" asked Katara quietly. "Are you ok?"

"It's so….unexpected. The only regret I have is that I didn't get to know him for any good duration of time. I know if I hadn't been frozen in that iceberg that we would have been lifelong friends. But destiny had us only spending a few years together when we were both young and a few brief meetings since I've been back," said Aang. "I know I shouldn't be sad. He has lived a much longer life than most people."

"Are you going to Omashu?" Katara asked.

"No, he was right. I need to be here right now. And other than a 'good-bye', there is probably nothing else I can do for him. Based on what he said, he's probably gone already," said Aang. _I wonder what his plan for Omashu is._

OlOlOlOlOlO

**27 months ASC**

All of Aang's airbending students were coming along very well with their training. That is, except for Suwan who was taking an obviously break from things for a while.

In the beginning, Youfeng and Meifeng were the stars of the class. They still were, but the other students were holding their own as far as progressing up the chain of airbending levels. Since Aang had been a little hit and miss due to his travels and Avatar responsibilities, they took the time to practice what he had taught them while he was away. When he returned, they had usually been able to demonstrate an adequate mastery of the forms last taught to them.

During the final few months of Katara's pregnancy, Aang did not travel and his students benefited from the fact that the nomad finally had to stay put. It was during one of these training sessions that sparring was first brought up.

"Master Aang," said Kochi right before training started early one morning, "I have really enjoyed everything you've taught us thus far. But I do have one question for you – we have never sparred at all using our airbending – we've flown on our gliders and performed forms and played games. I'm a little concerned that if I ever have to use my airbending _for real_ - for defense or protection - it will not come naturally or automatically to me."

Aang decided to bring up Kochi's concerns to the class as a whole.

"Class, Kochi has brought me a concern this morning and I wanted to get your opinions on the matter as well. He feels that we need to do more sparring in class so you can experience more real-world combat situations. What do you think?"

"Master Aang, Kochi has mentioned this to me and I do agree. One thing I'd like to add is that we should learn specifically what airbending maneuver to use against other bending techniques and moves," said Youfeng.

"Ahh, I see," said Aang.

He paused for just a few moments to gather his thoughts.

"I have not brought up sparring yet for several reasons. Sparring is something that should only be done by experienced airbending students. You do not want to harm any of your fellow students when you spar with them. You need to exercise a great amount of control. I have thought about when would be the best time, and have not, until now, been convinced that you are ready. If you are so excited about the premise of sparring, I think it is worth trying. You all are at an advanced enough level that I think you can handle it. Let's start today."

There was an air of excitement and a few mumbles among the five students.

"Today we'll learn the first sparring move that I'm going to teach you. It's actually a defensive move that will prevent you from getting hurt. I will attack you with an air blast. It will knock you back, and I want you to bend a cushion of air where you will land so you don't smack against the ground or an object when you fly backwards. Any questions?" asked Aang.

Nothing was said.

"Ok, Youfeng, come up here," Aang said. "Get in ready position and face me."

Youfeng positioned himself properly with his knees bent and his arms and hands up in front of his chest.

"Ready?" asked Aang.

Youfeng nodded. Aang hit him with a small blast of air that merely knocked him backwards where he stood. He quickly outstretched his hands by his buttocks and bended a cushion that softened his fall.

"Great job, Youfeng. Now, we're going to do the same thing except I want you to attack me with an air blast. I want to give it all you've got though," said Aang.

Both benders prepared themselves for the next demonstration move. Youfeng, now knowing how to bend an airblast with no preparatory movements, simply pushed out with his hands and threw a giant airblast at Aang. Aang let himself be thrown backwards quite a ways, but easily cushioned himself from hitting the ground. He walked back towards the class.

"I could have easily shot a canceling air blast at Youfeng as a defensive tactic, but I wanted to show you that even being thrown back a great distance can still be safe for an airbender because of our ability to cushion ourselves no matter how far we are thrown," said Aang. "Now go ahead and practice."

OlOlOlOlOlO

The next few weeks now included introductory sparring sessions as well as the forms and movement training for all the airbenders.

It was during one of these sessions that Aang thought to himself, _They really are getting to be quite good. Having them around almost reminds me of what life used to be like back when the temples were full of airbenders. _

Aang even had some fun with his students by throwing in some of the other types of bending. Of course, he would never hurt his students, but it was funny to see what happened when he said, "See if you can figure out how to defend against this," and then just bend a couple jugs of water at a student.

After about a month of the sparring basics, Aang felt comfortable enough to have his students open spar. The moves were basic enough that he felt no one would get hurt. It would be interesting to add Katara into the mix eventually. Waterbender vs. Airbender. The students would learn a lot from her and what she could throw at them. There were only two considerations – one was that she was a master at her craft and she would definitely need to hold back else she would win every time, and second, her current condition negated anything like this happening anytime soon.

Katara's final month of pregnancy became almost as unbearable as Mai had made it sound. Good sleep was a rare occurrence due to the inability to get comfortable as well as the need to get up two to three times a night to pee. The baby had been dropping down making the situation even worse as her time to give birth drew near. Her wrists and ankles tended to swell and her fingers felt tight and sore all the time. But no matter what, as a couple, they both kept their hearts trained on the true nature of what was going on inside Katara's body and tried to stay upbeat about the impending delivery.

Aang checked on the baby nearly every evening. This made Katara very happy – she felt like he was more involved and interested than she ever could have expected him to be. Aang was so good to her always attending to her every need as long as he was around.


	42. Chapter 42

**28 months ASC**

Katara didn't think she could ever feel as conflicted as she did about her impending labor and delivery. On one hand, it would be nice to have the baby out. Her body would be her own once again. As much as she sometimes enjoyed the baby's kicking and punching, there were other times (such as when she wanted to sleep) that all this movement was nothing more than just an annoyance.

She was sore all the time. She swelled. She waddled. She was slow. All of these things were not pleasant, but Katara was also elated at the same time at the thought of the little life – the combination of herself and her true love – growing inside her. The excitement and happiness of the pregnancy was also there fighting to win the emotional battle.

Then there was the dread. Katara didn't dread the pain like some pregnant women did. However, she did dread the unknown. Just as she had shared with her husband before – why do some women have easy deliveries resulting in healthy babies and others are difficult and the babies are sick? Not knowing how things were going to go for her occupied her mind over these last few weeks.

Aang was feeling Katara's belly one evening at bedtime when she asked, "Aang, do you think it is a mistake that we did not go to the Northern Water Tribe to deliver the baby?"

"Are you _that _concerned, Katara?" asked Aang. "Do you really think there is going to be a problem?"

"No. But I can't ever be sure," she replied.

"Katara, you and the baby will be fine," said Aang. "Don't forget that Fei Yen and her baby were extremely sick well before the delivery happened. You've been very healthy thus far."

"I know. Just the normal pregnancy stuff to deal with," she said. "I just have to ignore this feeling of impending doom that I sometimes get."

"I think it is just the worry of not knowing," said Aang.

"You're stating the obvious. Didn't I just say that?" said Katara.

Aang chose to ignore the somewhat snide comment. "You have helped to deliver so many babies over the years, you'll be fine. You know exactly what to expect and when. And I'll be right here by your side to do anything you need me to."

"I love you, Aang," said Katara. She gave him a peck on the lips. "I guess I'm just ready for this to be over. It's been a long nine months."

Aang walked into the bathroom to change for bed.

"Aang?" Katara shouted from the bedroom.

"Yes?" he replied.

"I do have one idea," said Katara.

"What's that?" he shouted from the bathroom.

"Actually, it's an old wives tale...," said Katara.

"Go on," said Aang as he leaned up against the doorway between the two rooms.

"They say there are ways to get you to go into labor faster," said Katara.

"Like what?" asked Aang.

"Well, among some other things, there's always…._sex_," she replied.

"Well, now," said Aang with a little swagger. "Thanks for sharing your idea. I hadn't heard it before."

"I'm serious, Aang," said Katara. "It supposedly gets the…inner parts flexing and might bring on labor."

"Hmmm….really?" he noted.

"Couldn't do any harm, could it? Even if it's not true…," said Katara.

"I suppose not," said Aang.

"Plus, I hate to tell you this if you haven't heard it before, but there is no sex in the couple of months after the birth," said Katara.

"I think you just convinced me to make love to you my dear wife," said Aang, with an air of humor in his voice.

OlOlOlOlOlO

It was only two days later when Katara felt her first real pain. She was climbing out of bed in the morning and, out of nowhere, her abdomen tightened. She closed her eyes, put her hand on her belly, and let out a deep breath.

Aang was getting dressed for his morning airbender training session when he noticed Katara's strange pause. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"It's just a cramp," she said and went about her business after it went away.

Aang looked in her general direction for the next few minutes just to make sure everything was fine. After a while, he just shrugged it off and went out the door to grab a quick bite before walking to the training area.

All five of Aang's students bowed to signal the beginning of class. Aang, of course, bowed back.

"First, I'd like you to perform the highest level forms that you know how to do," instructed Aang. "Go."

The five students separated and each worked on their most advanced forms for the next half hour. Aang walked around and examined each of his students work on their forms in a repetitive manner.

First he looked at Tengfei. Aang nodded at his mini air tornado. Next was Kanpu. Kanpu, once so young and inconsistent had matured since official training started about a year ago. He had gotten the hang of most of the maneuvers and could hold his own these days.

Aang looked over to the side of the training grounds and saw Katara sitting by one of the gardens watching his practice. She looked content and happy. Aang smiled slightly. He turned back to Kanpu and continued his observations.

The next part of practice was sparring. Aang had all the students circle around while he took them one by one for individual instruction in the center of the circle. That way, all the students could see the various tactics he chose to use against various offensive maneuvers. After a bit of sparring with him, he paired them up and had them spare amongst themselves.

Aang decided to fill out the remainder of the session with a bit of fun. Instead of the usual air ball game, he decided to show the lower-level benders how to make an air scooter, something that Youfeng and Meifeng were already able to do because they had already learned the air ball form. He had them play a quick game of tag just to get used to the feeling of not only generating the air ball, but keeping it going for more than a few seconds at a time.

He looked over to see if Katara was still there watching the practice. She was. _I wonder why she's here_, he thought to himself.

Aang dismissed his students just before lunch. He walked over to Katara and sat down beside her.

"How are you doing?" Aang asked.

"I'm fine. Just a few more pains here and there," she answered.

"Oh _really_," he said.

"Isn't that what you meant?" she replied.

"Actually no. I was concerned because of all the time we've ever lived here, you've never come to watch one of my practices. I was worried that something else was bothering you. But _pain?_….you should go lie down," said Aang.

"I'm _fine_, Aang. I was just feeling like I needed to be near you. That's all," she replied.

Aang smiled at his wife upon learning her reasoning and leaned over to give her a peck on the lips.

"I'm glad you were here," he said. "Now, let's get some lunch."

Aang and Katara walked over to the dining area of the temple. They got their food, sat down, and started to eat.

"So what's your plan for this afternoon?" Aang asked.

"I was going to…," Katara started to say, but then squinched her eyes tight and wrinkled her nose.

"Another one?" he asked.

It felt like forever before she finally answered him. She let out an exhale and said, "Yeah, another one."

"Maybe we should go back to our place after lunch. I want to check you," said Aang.

Katara opened her mouth to say something, but upon seeing the insistent look on Aang's face, she closed it and nodded.

After lunch they were walking back to the residential part of the temple when Katara doubled over with one hand up on the wall of the hallway and the other around her belly. The world seemed to stop until she was able to stand up straight again.

"That's it," said Aang as he scooped her up into his arms and got her back to their room as fast as his legs would take him. Although Aang was not much taller than Katara (just by a smidge these days), he was much stronger than he looked from all the training he did. He could easily handle carrying a very pregnant Katara the remaining distance to their place.

He gently laid her on the bed. He flipped open her pouch and bended the water onto one of his hands. He used the other hand to flip up her shirt and then placed both hands on her belly where the water ran over both of his hands and began to glow.

Aang concentrated deeply with his eyes closed.

"Oh Aang, here comes ano…," started Katara.

Katara tensed up, but Aang remained fully focused on what he was doing.

Katara eased up and Aang took his hands off of her and returned the water to its pouch. She just sprawled out and lied there like the wind had been kicked out of her.

"Katara, I think the baby is coming," said Aang. "Your muscles are contracting hard. I don't think this is false labor."

"Yeah, I kind of figured this was it after the last two," said Katara.

"We need to get ready," said Aang.

Aang was about to walk out of the bedroom when Katara raised her head to look at him. "Aang?"

He stopped and looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"I know that when babies are born there are usually midwives and helpers all around," started Katara.

"I was just about to go get someone to find Haruko as a matter of fact," Aang replied.

"Can we…," she started. "Can we try to do this ourselves? I mean, we've helped deliver three babies just in the last year. I think we know what we're doing. I want it to be more…personal. Y'know, just the two of us."

"You mean the three of us," Aang said.

Katara smiled. "Well, I guess it will be just the three of us."

"I'm ok with that. But will you do me a favor?" asked Aang. "I want to find Haruko anyway _just in case_. I will ask her to be discreet, but I want her to know what is going on."

"It's a deal," said Katara. "But please hurry back."

"I'm an airbender. Nothing takes me that long," said Aang as he ran out the door.

Within minutes he was back in the room. "So what now?" he asked. "Without helpers, we're on our own."

"Can you run me a bath? I'm sure the warmth will do me some good. Then you can get the bed ready," said Katara.

Aang ran Katara a warm bath. She took what was left of her clothes off and slipped into the soothing water. She placed her hands on her belly and the water began to glow.

"Are you alright in there?" asked Aang seeing the light emanating from the bathroom.

"I'm just blocking some of the pain," she replied. "Keep getting the bed ready."

Aang scurried around to make sure there was a thick cloth barrier between Katara and the mattress. He piled several blankets on top of the bed to keep her warm. There were several bowls of water placed around the room in case the need came for any particular amount of water.

When he finished, he silently poked his head into the bathroom and watched Katara in deep concentration, head straight ahead with her eyes closed. He walked up behind her and started rubbing her temples in a slow circular motion.

"Oh, that feels good, Aang," she murmured.

He gradually moved to her neck and shoulders, trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible.

"I must say I'm impressed. Usually the women are screaming their bloody heads off by now. You seem to be handling this very well," he said to her.

"It probably has to do with the fact that I know how to heal," she replied. "I know the chi paths very well and I know what certain pains mean and can more easily deal with them."

Katara started to get up from the tub. "Aang, can you hand me my towel?" she asked as she reached her hand toward it. Aang grabbed it and wrapped it around his wife and helped her get to the bed.

She lied there completely naked and piled a few of the blankets on top of her. Aang sat on the bed at her side.

Another pain hit her, but she was a bit too slow to catch it. It hit her hard and she did let out a combination yelp and wince as it reached its peak. Aang bended water from one of the bowls in the room and placed his hands on either side of her belly to help her with the pain.

"I supposed this is what we're going to be doing for the next few hours then," he said to Katara trying to keep the environment somewhat light in the room

"Yeah. It'll be pretty boring until its time to push," she replied in turn.

The young couple did just that for quite a few hours. Katara lied there getting through the pain, timing her contractions to see how frequent they were coming. Aang simply stayed by her side and helped her ease her pain. Other than a few questions here and there about "how was that one?" or "how long do you think we still have?", not much was said. The focus in the room was on the labor and delivery and keeping Katara as happy as possible.

It was a long process for the first-time mother-to-be. Morning light started to peek into the window and Katara had yet to feel the urge to push. In her mind, she was getting a little concerned. Aang could see the gears turning in her head and the look on her face as time wore on.

"Katara, everything's fine. I just checked the baby and nothing's wrong," said Aang.

"But - ," started Katara.

"You know more than most that labor can last more than two days and you aren't even gotten past one yet," said Aang.

She took a deep breath. "Yes, you're right. I'm just tired, that's all."

Aang pushed Katara up and started rubbing the small of her back. "Try to get as much rest as you can while your body works," he said to her. "I know it's hard, but I'm here and I'll block as much pain as I can."

"Thank you, Aang. You've been wonderful," she replied.

On they went for even a few more hours. Then finally, Katara sat up and opened her eyes really big.

"It's time," she said. "I need to push."

Aang situated himself near Katara's legs and held her hand with one of his. The next contraction hit and she beared down and pushed hard. She yelled in pain as Aang was no longer blocking it – it was better for the baby for Katara to feel everything so she could get it delivered as fast as possible.

When the contraction ended, Katara asked Aang, "Did you see anything?"

"Nope, not yet," was his reply. "The baby is very far down, but not _that_ far down."

Katara actively pushed with each contraction from them on. She was exhausting herself, a normal occurrence for this part of the labor. Aang did his best to encourage her to give it her all. "This is almost completely over – and just think what you'll have in your arms when you're done," he said.

An hour into it, Aang could see the baby's head just peeking through the birth canal. "You're almost there, Katara. I see the head."

She grabbed the back of her knees and pushed with all her might when the next contraction hit. The head was even more visible.

Aang noted that the head was full of dark brown or maybe even black hair. _I wonder if the baby will take more after Katara or me,_ he thought to himself when he let his mind wander for just a second.

The next contraction brought him back to reality. "Aaahhhh!" Katara shouted.

"C'mon Katara, you've got this," encouraged Aang. "Keep breathing," he said upon noticing that she was holding her breath. "The baby needs air, too."

The contraction ended and Katara flopped back for the few seconds her body afforded her to rest. Aang touched her cheek gently and smiled.

"Here comes another one," she warned as she positioned herself once again.

Aang decided that this would be a good time to get to the area between her legs. The head was getting bigger and bigger to his eye with each push Katara made. He would be holding his new son or daughter very soon.

A few more pushes was all it took. The head was out and being held gingerly in the Avatar's hands. "One more, Katara," he said.

Upon the next contraction, she pushed with all her might and the baby slithered out into Aang's waiting arms. He placed the baby on a blanket waiting for him at the end of the bed. He wiped the blood and other birth liquids from the baby and made sure the baby was breathing. The baby hesitated for just a few seconds with both its arms and legs outstretched and flailing, a seemingly physical complaint at leaving the warm confines of Katara's body and now being in this cold, new world. Then came the bellowing cry.

Katara was still tense – up and alert waiting for the baby to cry. When she heard it, she flopped back down onto the bed and took a deep breath. _It's over._

Aang continued to clean and prep the newborn. He tied off the umbilical cord and cut it with a blade he had on hand for the occasion. He swaddled the baby in another blanket and presented it to Katara on her chest.

"We have a daughter," said Aang.

Katara started to cry upon seeing the little girl's chubby round face near hers. "So this is why I made all those sacrifices," she said to her daughter. Aang's eyes were leaking as well and he was wiping his tears away with the back of his hand from time to time.

"Aria," said Katara softly.

Aang nodded once at hearing his daughter's name said out loud, a silent affirmation that this was the name he liked as well.

The family bonding started almost immediately. Both Aang and Katara couldn't take their eyes off of their little Aria. She wasn't quite as dark as Katara, but definitely not as light as Aang. She had dark hair – hard to tell yet if it was going to be chocolate like Katara or black like Aang. Her eyes were blue, but the parents knew that would most likely change sometime during her first year.

Katara and Aang finished up the delivery over the next hour or so. The afterbirth needed to be delivered. Aang massaged his wife's tummy a little bit encouraging it to contract to a more manageable size now that the baby was no longer inside her. He walked Katara to the bathroom and had her soak in the warm tub while she also cleaned up Aria a little as well. While she did this, Aang gathered up the bloody sheets and prepared them for disposal. When Katara was ready to go back to the bedroom, it was completely back to normal – as if the events of the last day and a half had never occurred. The only evidence was little Aria in the tub with Katara, now attempting to suckle from her mother's breast.

Aang leaned up against the bathroom door watching his wife and daughter. He smiled to himself for a few seconds. He was completely focused on the scene in front of him when he heard a gurgle. He placed his hand on his stomach.

"We haven't eaten in a while," he said to Katara. "Are you hungry?"

"Like a moose-lion," she replied.

By this time, it was between lunch and dinner. "I'm sure there's something downstairs. I'll be back in a few minutes," Aang said.

Aang left the confines of his home and made his way to the dining area. When he arrived, one-by-one the residents of the Eastern Air Temple gathered around wanting the news.

"It's done," was his reply. "We have a baby. But I'd like to introduce you properly before I give you any of the details. Plus Katara isn't even here. How about at dinner tomorrow night?"

The residents nodded, or said "ok" to Aang's proposal. He was sure the next night's dinner would be a memorable one.

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Katara and Aang didn't dress up for the dinner the next night. As a matter of fact, comfort was the main goal, especially for Katara who was still sore from the delivery. They placed a new cloth diaper on Aria and wrapped her up in a warm blanket to take her out for her first outing outside of the home.

When they arrived at the dining area, the entire population of the Eastern Air Temple was already there waiting for them. Everyone turned to see the Avatar and his new family standing at the entryway.

"My friends," Aang began, "I'd like to introduce you to my new daughter, Aria. She was born yesterday just after mid-day. She is completely healthy as is Katara. Thank you for all of your support."

Haruko was the first resident to leave her seat to see Aria, cradled in Katara's arms. Then Suwan gathered around, followed by Min. As the ladies talked about the last few days, Aang stood back and took it all in.

He was extremely happy. More so than he ever thought possible. Though he did note to himself, _life is going to change with a child added to our family. I can only imagine what the future holds for us._

And so began the next stage of the Avatar's life.


End file.
